_{(Here is a poem from JQ’s upcoming book of poetry, Escaped Energy, which will be released on Amazon on September 4th, 2020)}

Quiet down now, beautiful little bygones.
Your melancholy harmony was your greatest allure.
When I walk away like a cowboy into the sunset, you’ll miss
The point, and that’s something I’ll have to live with.

I’ll throw around words of distaste like boulders,
Looking for the golden ruling, but I’ll never be able to speak my heart.
Down by the water hole, I have reflected more than a man does in a
Lifetime,
And I’ve found just as much, because there is only one answer,

The past is Four Roses on the rocks, and after a few,
I’m drunk in memories, though it’s easiest to forget.
Strangers will gather and help me sing this song,
That digs me deeper, closer to my grave.

The aces of life I laid on the table doubled its value,
But the dealer knew better and rigged the river,
And all that time wishing for the jackpot,
Left me with nothing but kindly banter from the others being played.

Yes, the fear of untimely change can make a man’s paunch ache,
Biting fingernails, sleepless nights, snappy judgment, blind eyes,

Rest assured, everything will be all right.
But first things first, get through the night alive.

Today I’ll ponder mortality; tomorrow I’ll fight it.
And that’s the answer, every time.
Today I’ll drink and toast. Tomorrow I’ll find a new town,
And call it my own, until it’s time for my sunset again.