when i last shaved
the world looked very different
sleep came easy
my bones less fragmented
the frame of it all
not even realized

beer and whiskey have conditioned the hair
firmly affixed to a pit of exaggeration
and wild dreaming

it yellows near my lips
a sign of weakness
and dependence 
and more than once has kept a leftover
sometimes it reflects my heart
flattened to one side
and unkempt
slowly moving outwards
but constantly growing heavier


this beard is more me than i am

if love is like you desire
then love has already seen some weather

too much heat
too much tension
both care and abuse

the neck will need to be reset eventually
everything should be properly oiled
but improvements aren't needed
that finish is just fine the way it is
and those pick ups sound amazing

get used to the cracks and dings
they are all part of the mojo
for the love of god
don't de-string it and put it in a humidifier

take it out
play it often
think of all the songs it has already sung
the places it has been
the stories it can speak to your soul

you said you wanted to be loved like a vintage guitar
and i realized i'm not a collector
i want just want to shred for always

i wanted to write something
that would save the world
so i sat down and wrote about you
and how i used to believe in something more
about love in bloom
and dying to yourself

i wanted to write something
that would bring you back
so i sat down and wrote about the world
and how i used to believe in something different
about giving people more than they deserve
and loving with reckless abandon

i wanted to write something
that would sober up my head
but that's not gonna happen
till your face is a distant memory
and i can't still feel your touch

i wanted this poem to matter,
i wanted so much more

than a rocks glass
and painful memories