Saturday Night Storm
   and Her Puppy Is Frightened
   (after Bobby Joe just called in from Junction
   60 miles out on the last leg of a week-long haul)    

The gods in the upper room
just flat racaucous tonight:
knocked a PBR off the counter
canclang on the bar rail, roll against the stool legs
beer seeps through the floorboards
thunder spreads across the rafters
ceiling bouncing as they dance
to the holy jukebox stormy weather pick hits
pool ball clack and waft of Bull Durham and joy weed
floating through the live oaks
living high while daddy's out on rain business
or wallowed up against big legged earth mama

the warm libation drips and drips
all across the hill country
and the dog shivers against the night sounds
screaming witches and caterwauls
singing along loud enough to peel wallpaper
Jupiter and Saturn torn away
from the milky way and moon
on the kid's bedroom walls
all the lunges the lightning
shoves into the warm sky
begs me to let him up in our bed
but he's pure shit out of luck

Go away baby dog
you're on your own this time
it's a storm a raging all both
out there and in here tonight
fast and pray however you do it
doggy style, work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling
your daddy will be home in an hour
I'm planning to tie a double knot
up in my own redemption righteously tight
I'm singing Come come ye saints
nookie's on the agenda this rainy night