James Babbs

Too Late

before it was too late
I got in my car
and
drove to her house
but she wasn’t home
all of the windows were dark
so I just stood there
on the front porch
looking around
and
wondering
what I was going to do

The End of the Song

later
it could get brighter
but tonight
the only lights I see
are the ones in the distance
winking back at me
as Nick Drake sings
and
the lamp in the corner
paints shadows on the walls
and
I pull another drink
from the bottle in my hand
while trying to figure out
the best way to let her know
exactly how I’m feeling
and
it’s killing me
the sudden silence
at the end of the song
the sound of nothing
lingering

 

James Babbs has a brush pile in his backyard that has been there all summer long because he just can’t seem to find the motivation to burn it but hopes one day it will happen.  Recent work has appeared in Abbey, Champaign News-Gazette, Modern Haiku and Presence.