In My Favorite Blue Undershorts by Ryan Quinn Flanagan

I was never worried about myself.

Somehow, I knew I was fucked.

No need to adorn aging skin tag 

guillotine necks with pearls.

Sitting up in bed 

of this second floor biker motel

watching dealers and sketchy junkies shuffle up 

to the neighbouring door and give some lazy

predetermined knock.

As I sat shirtless 

in my favorite blue undershorts

watching the kids from India

killing the national spelling bee.

Getting increasingly drunk

so that I started to wonder about 

those stains on the towels 

in the bathroom that wouldn’t

come out.

The weird ripples 

in the flowery wallpaper 

above my head 

that betrayed the working 

garden.

Double checking the deadbolt 

on the door

before pulling the curtains

and sprawling out in the middle

of the bed.

Cheering on 

my favourite brown boy 

from the provinces 

who was admittedly nearsighted 

with a noticeable lisp.

When he lost,

I rolled over and made 

my body into a star.

Drooling over all the pillows

so housekeeping would know 

I was there. 

Ryan Quinn Flanagan is a Canadian-born author residing in Elliot Lake, Ontario, Canada with his wife and many bears that rifle through his garbage.  His work can be found both in print and online in such places as: Evergreen Review, The New York Quarterly,The Rye Whiskey Review, Outlaw Poetry Network, Under The Bleachers, The Dope Fiend Daily and In Between Hangovers.