Jar of Nickels
jar of nickels
you gave them to me on the day you left
uncle johnny leaving with the lady cab driver
shaky tea cup about to drop
my mother holds you up
drawing circles and squares
i didn't know
wearing brown and blue
in the green arm chair
your poison drifts up
it climbs the basement stairs
i'm twisting knots into my hair
while you sneak the absolute
my nylon tent drenched in rain
the house i'm locked into
and i didn't know
and i didn't know
you went down to the city
your gray eyes turned away from me
you walked the line on the driver's side of the road
dragging your anchor and your licorice mood
into the hotel room and you never came out
and i didn't know
and i didn't know
that you were leaving