you/strong>
By Ed Tato

you’ve been drinking too much
again
and huffing paint stripper
while your wife’s at work

you’ve been meaning to get in touch
with someone

you can’t make the music
loud enough
you hear some maudlin song
from your twenties

(maybe it’s Joy Division
maybe it’s Nina)

you can’t remember who that was

headlights hit the intersection at fifty
you start off the curb
but feel the leash
hanging from your wrist

— Ed Tato is a Lawrence poet. Poet’s Showcase features work by area poets. Submit your poetry via e-mail with a subject line of Poet’s Showcase to mpaget@ljworld.com or send typewritten (not handwritten) submissions to Mindie Paget, 645 N.H., Lawrence 66044, attn: Poet’s Showcase. Teen writers should submit their work to the 18 & Under page at teens@ljworld.com.