PUBLISHED IN POETIC DIVERSITY

One of my older poems has been published in "Poetic Diversity", a literary zine based out of Los Angeles. HERE is the link to the page and I also reposted the poem below. Thanks for checking my poems out!

WALK OF SHAME

by matt burns

The path is all too familiar.

Every landmark

Pumps shame

Into my blood.

It’s a conditioned response.

Like Pavlov’s dogs.

If somebody showed me a photo

Of any of those places

I would feel the shame.

It ruined the Charles River for me

Or at least that part of the Charles.

Or maybe just

That

Specific

Bridge.

First, it’s the mechanic’s garage.

Some sort of rack with tires on it.

The sounds of drilling

Tire pressure sssssssstttttssss.

Ratchets.

Each sound pumps more shame

Into the veins.

Then the bridge is next.

The Charles’ water’s flowing

The ducks floating

Birds chirping

All happy to start a new day.

I envy their enthusiasm.

And the innocence.

Nothing to regret from the previous night.

The traffic whizzes by me

And I’m still wearing my clothes

From last night.

All wrinkled.

My hair matted and parted

In all the wrong ways.

Alfalfa

Bed-head.

Crumbs of eye crust.

The drivers may be able to see

The blemishes.

Or maybe I’m far enough away

To still look normal.

But I feel and look like a zombie.

Dehydrated.

Head so fuzzy

Not present

Not even on earth

My brain cells all currently dysfunctional

My skull feels hollow.

The booze burned up

All the intelligence.

Like somebody had poured

Acid into my ear.

After the bridge comes a weird

Industrial-type-road.

Blue-collar workers

Pulling up to their places of employment

In pick-up trucks

Extra-large Dunkins coffees in hand.

Fresh

Energized

Ready to work.

And then there’s me.

The zombie suffering the consequences

Of a thirsty-Thursday night.

They glance over

And see that something’s off.

The attire isn’t right…it’s for nighttime

Not day

And it’s wrinkled.

Clearly suspicious.

Thank God they can’t smell me.

There would be odorous acid burps.

Sour vagina.

Stale deodorant.

Stale Natural Ice.

Finally I arrive at my car

Start the engine

And drive off.

Zombie driver

So dangerous

Hung over

But sober

So totally legal…

Legal, yes…

But everything is so very wrong

Not just me behind the wheel of the car

But me behind the wheel of life.