James Babbs- Three Poems

We Can’t Have Everything

that day when I saw her

and I wanted to tell her

something

but the words

got caught in my throat and

I started coughing

trying to catch my breath

and she asked me

if I was okay

nodding my head

before I could speak

I just need a drink

I said

and she smiled

handing me a glass of water

thanks

I said

but do you have anything stronger

and she laughed

but I was only half-joking

then she pulled out the bottle

of Jack Daniels from the cupboard

and I asked her

do you have any Cokes

but she shook her head

I think there’s diet Dr. Pepper

somewhere in the fridge

she said

I told her

okay

that’ll have to do

I Wrote This a Couple of Hours Ago

at one point

I had four clocks in my kitchen

but now

I’m down to only three

because

the last time

the power went out

I didn’t bother to reset

the one on the microwave

I don’t know why

I need three clocks

all in the same room

maybe

I just like knowing

what time it is

no matter where I’m at

hell

I can’t think of

anything better than

sitting here every morning

drinking my coffee and

watching every minute of

my pathetic life slipping away

can you?

One I Never Sent

the other day when I was

rummaging through my desk

looking for something else

I came across the card

stuffed in the top drawer

the one I never sent to you

the one where I wrote down

all the things

I missed about you

and I remember

how I was all ready to

put it in the mail

before realizing it was too late

and it sounded too desperate

holding it in my hand

the square blue envelope

and the postage stamp

stuck sideways in the corner

with the heart on it

that had never been cancelled