Where are you,
safe in your home,
secure in your life?

While the games are played,
while wars are fought,
while outside sex and drugs
are sold and bought.

Where have you been?
Not in the past,
but right now,
tonight?

Are you staggering in,
from bars,selling flesh,drink and dreams?
Empty pockets,
empty cupboards,
another empty bed.

As the banker latches his locks,
quietly snickering at the idiot hordes,
as the prostitute closes her legs
and extends her hand,
as the bar tenders water down the bottles,
as the stripper counts out,
slowly kissing the girl at her side.

Hey,
you still with me?
If so,look out into the street,
whither it be Bourbon street,
Cheshire Bridge,Hollywood Blvd.,
where ever.

See that homeless man over there,
he won,got a cardboard box,
found a space, said screw it!
They can't eat me!

But you,
you took the bait,
they got you,they won.

Hey,
don't feel bad,
they got me too.

Simultaneously opening
Bukowski and an ice cold beer.
Ah,it'll be alright,
don't worry,you'll survive,
I did,Bukowski did.

Oh yeah,
one more thing,
they're not through
with us yet.