Holiday

Like checkers gaming days,
The green & red, the blue & white.
These neighborhood cafés,
On little tabletops tonight.
 
The holidays are here,
But I don’t have a card to send.
And where’s it go this year?
I haven’t got a single friend.
 
I come in from the rain,
Attracted by the tablecloths.
My linen pocket stained
By lozenges meant for my cough.
 
I look around the place,
There doesn’t seem to be a phone.
And no familiar face,
I’m not the only one alone.
 
I’m sitting near the door,
But nobody has seen me yet.
It doesn’t matter though,
I haven’t any money left.
 
Pedestrians go slow,
In Macintosh on down the street.
Their shadows ‘cross the floor,
Distorted from my window seat.
 
I won’t be staying long,
Just wanted to be warm awhile.
Then finally I’ll be gone,
For down-&-out is outta style.
 
To introduce himself,
The owner comes to blow a kiss.
Exclaims, like Santa’s elf:
‘A Merry Christmas, sir & miss!’
 
Oh good, here comes the girl.
I’ll simply ask her for some tea,
Or just hot water stirred
With wedge of lemon kindly please.
 
The music of the rain
Is soothing while I’m here inside.
But doesn’t dull the pain  
That comes & goes at eventide.
 
The waitress brings a tray,
And sets it right in front of me.
She smiles, no bill to pay,
And asks if I still want the tea.
 
I slightly shake my head;
That’s very nice but thank you, no.
I wish that I were dead,
For I have no place else to go.
 
I take the box of pills
Out of my jacket hand-me-down,
And stir them in until
It turns bright red, I swirl it round.
 
I gulp down every drop,
And suddenly I start to cough.
I choked, I couldn’t stop,
With red stains on the tablecloth.
 
I’m so ashamed of this,
I lean to pick up broken glass.
I’ll die and won’t be missed,
The river, they won’t hear the splash!
 
He’s coming back again;
Another glass, how kind of him.
I like the color red,
Now everything is going dim...
 
 
The rain is falling still,
And late tonight will turn to snow.
Streets’ colored lights will thrill,
What happens then nobody knows.