water on the brain

by Justin Hyde

we come back after our shift at burger king
unlocked our apartment door
let her in first
locked it
turned around
she was still right there
face to face in the dark
said she didn't love me anymore
she loved jack
i slept on the floor that night
went to cold storage next day
they gave me work
ran into an old friend hadn't seen in years
bought a twelve pack
drank it on his porch
went to the bar afterward
around midnight said
i hate to do this to you
but you gotta take me home
i need my insulin
knocked on my own door
she answered
had a beer in her hand
some guy standing behind her
no taller than my shoulders
had a beer in his hand
beat the shit out of him
beat the shit out of her too
threw myself out the third story window
busted my legs left wrist
when i come to in the hospital
cop standing by my bed
flicked my temple with his middle finger
said he hoped i felt like a man
how she was upstairs in icu
i'd beat her pretty bad
put water on her brain.