i’ve watched no country
seven nights in a row
not strictly an active watch
one and a half times with ponytail
once without breathing
but never forgetting
how you did the leaving

boyos have the heart scars
after every beating
to prove that
we can move it
that there’s blood on our shoes
to match the blood on your boots

you couldn’t just call it off
instead you decided
the best route was to not talk
before the light went soft
and you gave it up
with chamomile tea
an infidelity
on a monday
when he’d already called in to work
so
that’s when he convinced you

‘we might as well make use of the church’

on the run
on the coast
sailing winds
the arrogant boast
here’s a toast
to the ones you leave behind the most

the ones who brought you to the air
what future holdings do to fear

hot brown coffee has no care
just like you won’t hear
the cow screaming
who
and how it got there

makes you think ‘fuck the ones’
who need to stare
who need to understand things
or share

stay away from the kind of people
who like movies
or music
who get things done
so yeah
that’s pretty much everyone

except the little boy
lord fauntleroy
who took one last shot
with all his toys
headed east to wait
for daddy to die
for the money to come
dressed you up like it’s 1981

like declan patrick aloysious macmanus
laid down his gun
to spend his time
reciting schoolboy puns

ever clever down the rabbit hole
pouring concrete footings
around your flagpole
telling you all the truth
you choose to hold
like
who you are
and
why you’re here

was fifteen the other f word
or was that father
i used to burn certain suns to know that truth
but now i don’t even bother

might as well put a name on it

catholic
convenient

but everything
including ideals
can be labeled as wrong
and

there’s no such thing as simple songs

Profile: Letson Williams