'quit the game, bro'

old man

you insist on throwing yourself

at the twenty somethings

as if that thick wad in your pocket

will compensate for your grey shriveled balls 

and those eyes dance

like you once did in the day

only now you are reduced to

misinterpreted conversation

morning dosages of geritol. 

#barflypoet

#josephapinto

www.josephpinto.com 

© Copyright Joseph A. Pinto. All Rights Reserved.

*

Poetry served to you raw and unedited from the moment crafted;

all poetry is older work and chosen at random unless otherwise noted.

*

‘Scotch and Scars’ and ‘A Distilled Spirit’ in paperback and Kindle ebook at Amazon.

'but a curse to him'

she had a gift

a way of taking all her fears

and turning them against him.

#barflypoet

#josephapinto

www.josephpinto.com 

© Copyright Joseph A. Pinto. All Rights Reserved.

*

Poetry served to you raw and unedited from the moment crafted;

all poetry is older work and chosen at random unless otherwise noted.

*

‘Scotch and Scars’ and ‘A Distilled Spirit’ in paperback and Kindle ebook at Amazon.

'currents'

lose ourselves in sand

i’ll choke on the smoke

of your cigarettes;

they smell better than you look

you’ll flinch

at my bad jokes;

we both know we’re bad 

for each other’s health.

the currents have given us

more than we can handle

yet high tide can’t seem

to wash either of us away.

#barflypoet

#josephapinto

www.josephpinto.com 

© Copyright Joseph A. Pinto. All Rights Reserved.

*

Poetry served to you raw and unedited from the moment crafted;

all poetry is older work and chosen at random unless otherwise noted.

*

‘Scotch and Scars’ and ‘A Distilled Spirit’ in paperback and Kindle ebook at Amazon.

'breakdown in my yard'

i was the first 

and last

to hold you.

i could not leave you

my intentions true;

i tell myself you knew that

as i scooped you into my hand.

ssh, small thing

what else could i say or do 

aside from cradling you against my chest.

i would have healed you

had i the chance

but you pissed your life out

from between my fingers

and i could not cup you

not anymore.

i buried you behind a tree.

i shoveled slowly.

i lowered you with care.

i went inside my house 

hid in the basement 

beside the washer and dryer 

fingers sticky with piss and dirt

and sobbed over a sparrow.

and sobbed over my father.

and sobbed over my dog.

i could not keep together 

any of the three.

#barflypoet

#josephapinto

www.josephpinto.com 

© Copyright Joseph A. Pinto. All Rights Reserved.

*

Poetry served to you raw and unedited from the moment crafted;

all poetry is older work and chosen at random unless otherwise noted.

*

‘Scotch and Scars’ and ‘A Distilled Spirit’ in paperback and Kindle ebook at Amazon.

'some nights'

this pen

can’t find the ink

while the mind screams

blots all thoughts

an indecipherable mess. 

#barflypoet

#josephapinto

www.josephpinto.com 

© Copyright Joseph A. Pinto. All Rights Reserved.

*

Poetry served to you raw and unedited from the moment crafted;

all poetry is older work and chosen at random unless otherwise noted.

*

‘Scotch and Scars’ and ‘A Distilled Spirit’ in paperback and Kindle ebook at Amazon.

'how and why'

even in sleep

your unmoving lips

taunt me.

#barflypoet

#josephapinto

www.josephpinto.com 

© Copyright Joseph A. Pinto. All Rights Reserved.

*

Poetry served to you raw and unedited from the moment crafted;

all poetry is older work and chosen at random unless otherwise noted.

*

‘Scotch and Scars’ and ‘A Distilled Spirit’ in paperback and Kindle ebook at Amazon.

'brutal'

he messages her.

she swipes it aside.

he mattered two days ago.

she’s two days gone by.

#barflypoet

#josephapinto

www.josephpinto.com 

© Copyright Joseph A. Pinto. All Rights Reserved.

*

Poetry served to you raw and unedited from the moment crafted;

all poetry is older work and chosen at random unless otherwise noted.

*

‘Scotch and Scars’ and ‘A Distilled Spirit’ in paperback and Kindle ebook at Amazon.

'sacred thing'

i wish for nothing less

than to shatter you

break your wings

watch you plummet 

to depths unfathomable.

#barflypoet

#josephapinto

www.josephpinto.com 

© Copyright Joseph A. Pinto. All Rights Reserved.

*

Poetry served to you raw and unedited from the moment crafted;

all poetry is older work and chosen at random unless otherwise noted.

*

‘Scotch and Scars’ and ‘A Distilled Spirit’ in paperback and Kindle ebook at Amazon.

'comfort'

walking beside you

is like holding your hand;

we just slip into each other.

 #barflypoet

#josephapinto

www.josephpinto.com 

© Copyright Joseph A. Pinto. All Rights Reserved.

*

Poetry served to you raw and unedited from the moment crafted;

all poetry is older work and chosen at random unless otherwise noted.

*

‘Scotch and Scars’ and ‘A Distilled Spirit’ in paperback and Kindle ebook at Amazon.

'to be one'

to be one 

with the rush 

of symphonic surf

to cast your 

entire existence to 

the cycle of the sea;

i'd weather the 

synchronicities of the 

tides for you. 

#barflypoet

#josephapinto

www.josephpinto.com 

© Copyright Joseph A. Pinto. All Rights Reserved.

*

Poetry served to you raw and unedited from the moment crafted;

all poetry is older work and chosen at random unless otherwise noted.

*

‘Scotch and Scars’ and ‘A Distilled Spirit’ in paperback and Kindle ebook at Amazon.