Jim Daniels

Going Out Staying In
December 23, 2018 Daniels Jim

GOING OUT STAYING IN

I’ve done the math of staying in bed,
begging off the party, my hand covering
my glass, no thanks, I’m okay. Tired
of dubious eyeballs. Time to use the word
crestfallen. Everyone crestfallen, me, them,
the half-tilted bottle, the full-tilted throttle
of party party party. My excuses, well-done,
not half-baked. I’m done, done, done.
I’m seeing it all reflected in the swelling
darkness, the sullen sneer of the street-
light, the tattered missing-pet poster.
I’m missing it all. I stare at the silence
of the beautiful, empty glass.

Jim Daniels’ latest books include Rowing Inland, poetry; The Perp Walk, short fiction; and RESPECT: The Poetry of Detroit Music, coedited with M.L. Lieber. A native of Detroit, he is the Baker University Professor of English at Carnegie Mellon University. His author page is facebook.com/Jim- Daniels-45934689651/