The Bukowski Variation, or that night i spent dreaming of better dreams

starving in detroit

i had a small room

it was evening going into night

and i stood at my window

in the dark and looked down into 

the bedroom across the street 

and saw a beautiful arab girl 

take off her hijab and 

embrace a young jewish girl 

and kiss her with what seemed hunger

and i stood and watched until 

they broke away 

then i turned and switched on the light

i saw my dresser and my dresser drawers 

and my alarm clock on the dresser

i took my alarm clock 

and set it until the hands 

were set to wake me

then i fell asleep and dreamed

that i was on a beach walking

and my feet blistered in the

hot white sand.