Same Room Blues

Six months in the same room.

Same smelly carpet, same cracked window.

A broken hot plate, that's what I got.

And an old bed with springs that "pop"

when you're trying to snooze.

Chinese noodles in the cupboard.

Half-empty beers in the fridge.

And a couple of porno mags,

With their pages ripped.

The roaches all have names.

Al and Hank. Frank...and of course Tank,

that fat-ass roach with his

beer-gut hanging out.

Mofo always comes back for more.

Nailed him with a nudie mag

On the kitchenette floor.

But wounded, he escaped under the fridge.

And now Tank is back.

Back for more crumbs of noodles

And drops of beer

On the kitchenette floor.

Six months in the same room.

Same smelly carpet.

Same cracked window

Same Room Blues.

© Ithaka Darin Pappas (2004)