untitled

i crossed the bridge over the river on my way to a dive bar
the crowd was thin and the music loud
deafening
the bartender was an old man,
a shell of what he used to be
evolution was not kind to him
neither were the two packs of cigarettes a day
the smoke in the bar lingered
like an evening fog
unflinching
the alcohol burned going down
a young couple in the corner looked out of place
they faced each other when they talked
and she wore his hat while he played pool
it was almost as if they enjoyed being around each other
i stared at my drink through the haze
the flashing neon signs colored the room
first red
then blue
patriotic indeed
i scribbled some nonsense on the back of a coaster and then threw it out
i stumbled into the parking lot
but the smoke had already spread out there
i lit a cigarette and leaned against the light post almost as if i was the only thing keeping it from falling
we both needed support
i walked down to the lake
i watched as the sun set upon itself
creating a line of fire piercing the water
a single stone is all it took to shatter the sky
the sun crumbled into a million pieces
then disappeared
i went back to the bar the get a 6-pack to bring home
but it was closed
the smoke outside was suffocating
it wasn't until i turned down the road to head home
that i realized the smoke wasn't from the bar
i saw the remnants of the bridge as it collapsed and tumbled smoldering into the water
i lit another cigarette and watched the world end