King Lear Poem by Margy Crumb

jesus christ!
don't scrub your porch right now-
it's 4 am and your neighbors are asleep!
you're shaking and
you know, you aren't allowed to smoke out here.
you got a $50 fine-
just last week!
for littering

paranoid all the time-
you know, you're scared that you'll get caught
even though you won't get caught.
you know what?
you should be scared
but not of cops-
you know, if you'd just let yourself-
you know, if anyone was out right now-
you know that it's too late right now
to try and clean the ashes
off your porch
but if you don't get to work right now you're never gonna get around to doing it at
all-

you only took two pills-
that's half a dose!
but still, you're trembling
'cause it's cold outside tonight.
in your bare feet
you move in circles-
you know that you won't get this done.

you know, you really should just
quit while you're ahead.