Drunk Bitch Dreams of a Luminous Stream

Stevie Edwards

& pisses herself. Drunk Bitch drops her drink in the lap
          of a slightly less drunk body & is sure she's found love
                    in his smiling shrug: Easy, Tiger. Drunk Bitch finds love
in the staggered English of a gyrating Italian man but loses
          her keys & coat ticket while trying to find the beat.
                    Drunk Bitch's hips lie about her age & relationship status.
Drunk Bitch sees every park bench as a balance beam.
          Drunk Bitch says she used to be a gymnast & isn't lying
                    but wasn't ever very good. Drunk Bitch is limber
but bruises easily. Drunk Bitch has never broken a bone
          but has broken five cellphones, three necklace clasps
                    & the hearts of a squadron of decent & indecent men.
Drunk Bitch's stagger summons lust from the loins
          of unimaginative men. Drunk Bitch sips the future
                    & burns the past. Drunk Bitch ladles rum punch, spills red
rumors across her blouse, & swears she's not drunk
          tonight, just clumsy. Rumor is Drunk Bitch swallowed
                    the salt of a man in the bar bathroom. Drunk Bitch sloppy
paints her toenails pink until she feels pretty enough
          to text old drunk lusts. Drunk Bitch is as Drunk Bitch does.
                    Drunk Bitch kisses like a vacuum mated with a wet sponge.
These days Drunk Bitch stretches her luck till it pulls.
          Drunk Bitch causes a commotion, leaves a house
                    party on a stretcher. Drunk Bitch gets up to get drowned.
Drunk Bitch floods the life of the party in Drunk Bitch tears.
          Drunk Bitch clicks her heels three times & wakes in a new
                    home with no clothes or cab money. Drunk Bitch watches
strangers in their underwear make coffee, eggs, sometimes
          banana waffles. Drunk Bitch still has this one good trick:
                    she lies down like a corpse four days with drawn drapes
& groans Lazarus, Lazarus. Drunk Bitch is the resurrection
                                                                                                                  & the knife.