By Leonard Pigg

I’m in line at the gas station
The only person that has a full set of teeth
Seems I’m the only person that washed their ass today

There are some that the flies will even avoid
At this hour, the world is like a horror film
Or the town in Castlevania 2 at night, where monsters roam free on the streets

The undead are lurking at this time, trying to get a fix before sunrise
They always ask for change on the way out of the gas station, instead of on the way in
Odds are better at getting loose change then
The dealer chides them for paying for drugs in loose change, but takes the money anyway

She’s just trying to get back to her kids, before they awaken
The musk of sweat and spermicide radiate from her sweaty frame
Hips are sore from servicing several men,
just this week
The cumulative effect of it makes her feel like a goddess, extracting sacrament from their loins
Her clothes cling to her awkwardly, just as the man behind her coughs on her

He’s here for his forth pack of cigarettes today and she can smell the tobacco coming from his pores

Staring at her ass and smelling at the air, he gives a positive grunt

She rolls her eyes, annoyed at the breather and his
Sling Blade-like ways
Sticking a chunk of tobacco in his jaw, he snorts like a bull and scratches his ass
The woman hates his guts, but would have sex with him just to feel pretty again

I can smell a mix of various drugs in the air as I wait to get gas
I just want to go home, to be safe from the
Nightmare Zone
This is not America, but the underbelly that juts out when Uncle Sam loosens his belt

The guy behind me keeps cursing, swearing revenge and I’m sure I’m not the target
I hope this line goes just a little bit quicker, I bet he’s carrying a pistol
The clerk is a living pop-up ad, repeating the same thing to each person
He gets mad when people deviate from the script
Broken English and a serious attitude problem
Flirts with the women and talks down to the men
“This is my kingdom,” he thinks to himself as he gives them their change

I finally order what I want, pay and leave
Driving down the street, I have the windows down to enjoy the night air
Someone keeps yelling “Yo!” from the shadows, thinking I’m naive enough to stop
keep driving, as this isn’t the best neighborhood and I don’t want to be car-jacked

Fear is the rabid beast with two backs, as another
love song comes on the radio
The lyrics take me to another time and place where my feeling flowed like water
The lover that’s too afraid to commit to just one person
See the look in the eyes of a heart full of lies, as it erodes the soul

Too afraid to tell all others no, they continue down the road of emptiness and broken promises

Anyone that is haphazard to care is considered strange, cast aside or attacked 

Nobody believes in the idea of love or lovers, just sex and degradation on multiple levels

I shut off the damned radio and just enjoy the wind of the night from the windows

So many strangers lurking about in the daytime and the night

I hate this city most days, as there’s too many invaders from neighboring states
Neighbors are supposed to be friendly, at least in theory

They’re given free housing and health care, while locals are struggling 

Veterans are overlooked and have to sleep on the streets
The disabled are mocked and looked down on by people whose parents are siblings

Local government shits on the constituents,
not understanding why the place stinks so badly
They are of the “Let Them Eat Cake” mentality and are oblivious to real living

Bureaucrats think diversity is having a board with no people of color

And there is always a female secretary… welcome to the future

Hipsters go to war over craft beer and vinyl collections
The debate over vintage versus modern rages on, thrift stores are the battleground

“My beard is better than your beard,” is the battle cry
Bored of education, the youth rebel with piercings and the next great challenge
They want to think they’re new and innovative with wild hairstyles and androgyny
Every artist is who they believes is new and innovative, despite copying another before them
None of them have ever heard of David Bowie and it shows
Kids bombard their news-feed with selfies, complete with duck-lips pose
Adults mock them all, knowing they used to wear neon colors and Vogue ages ago
Everyone is connected online, but avoid each other in real life
Nobody really gives a care, but they will take the time to like and share