I turned a wrench into a bag of dimes
Sold my suits and ties for dope
All I dreamt of was a quiet life
But I was handed so much more
I rode to battle in a Subaru
Found my humility in scars
I filled entire piles of notebooks
Then burned its pages to keep warm
I inked all lies between the lines
To keep me fed and high and torn
I dreamt of moose and trees and burials
Tried to forget where I was born
She came with lilies, wine, and cigarettes
And turned me off my quiet dreams
I soured bitterly in darkened rooms
I found no ink to spare for thoughts
I then made peace in conversations
About the weather, fears, and arts
I found the noblest appreciation
For the sobering of hearts
Now I sell words a dime a piece
Got neither wrench nor suit nor dope
Just endless piles of wilted lilies
And all these dreams of something more
- Afton Light, 2022
