I felt like a hamburger

by Paul David Thomas

I felt like a hamburger standing in the rain
waiting for her
water and stale beer
running down my nose and chin

We agreed to meet under this tree at three
Now I am here and my shoes
covered in mud my jeans
torn from the fence
The two tickets in my back pocket
are soaked and the destination
has washed away
along with my freedom

God damn if it doesn’t rain against me
always raining when I had to work
or on my wedding day
or on the day they took me to jail.

And that night
the rain
the worst the city has
seen in years
and that
after a year of drought

Fuck irony
now I have to haul
these suitcases
back to the hotel

then go find another bar that
might still be open that
might have more whiskey
than water