Lola's Grandmother didn'tlike the Irish.Lola said,"For fuck's sake, don't tellher you're Irish.She hates the Irish.""Why?" I asked."I don't know.  She doesthough, so don't evenmention the Irish."Lola was my girlfriendmany years ago inCalifornia.She had long black hairand the eyes of a...

  Cathy always sat ina small booth at theend of the bar.She had that empty cuploneliness, the kind thatnever goes away.We got drunk together anddanced like puppets inprison, injured by the night.Tarantulas and scorpionscrawled the desert of her heart.And I...

Death winks at thelilies that smile inthe rain.He takes her.The last dirty trick.Watered drinks andsyphilis doesn't do thepatrons any good.Too much grief forplacebos and madness.Relief must come.Booze and fantasy justbring sickness, andlicking frogs isout of the question.Pipe dreams ease...

I had been sober forawhile and was getting thatitch to drink.I couldn't recall thedegradation and misery ofthe last drunk, a few monthsearlier.It was spring, and I was standingoutside of the flophouse, I wasstaying at.Just then, a big sunflower ofa...