You don’t get

what you need

all the time.

You get that

thump in your chest,

those sparks

in your brain,

but what you need

most

comes in spurts

and flashes,

meteoric and

concise, like the

last glimpse

of that diamond

you dropped

down the drain

by accident.

That’s OK, honey.

It’s only money.

You get another

chance. Next year’s

calendars are already

on the New Arrivals

shelf.

Give yourself a break.

Pour yourself a drink.

Give yourself a kick

in the ass

if that’s what it takes.

Hit the brakes.

Hit the gas.

But don’t leave the road.

It’s nothing but weeds

out there.

You wait

forever

for a tow

or

walk all that way

back

home.