i can beat that

he once

told me,

over drinks,

that for him

there was no

greater feeling of hopelessness

and depression

than when he was

lying

in a hard bed

in a roadside motel,

while a cold rain fell

in the gravel lot

outside.

he told me that he had

no job

prospects

ahead,

and that his doctor found

a shadow

on his x-rays,

near his heart.

i nodded, that's rough,

i said,

that's bad,

but you've never

met my last wife,

have you?