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All the Pretty Shit

Continental Divide

Amsterdam

Pearl in an Oyster

LES Morning Twilight

Mata Hari

Fuck You and Your Pale Shades of Blue

The Rat

Naked

Gwen

Sitting at the
Bar at KGB #13

Sitting at the
Bar at KGB #32

The Rat

Listen, she said
There might be a problem?

A problem? I said
Yeah
A problem
She said

We were in a taxi 
On our way back
To her place
I had my hand up her skirt 
And working on her thigh
And I didn't need
A problem right now

So
What do you mean
A problem?
I said

Well, she said, I got a rat
A rat, I said
Yeah, a rat, she said
What's that, I said

You know
She said
A rat
A rodent
A little furry thing

Yeah, I said, I know
But you keep him in a cage

Oh know, she said
I let him run around
Get the feel
For the place
Let him get to know
His true rat essences

Then she leaned in
And began kissing me
Behind my ear
And I was getting horny
And I had to do something about it
But I didn't want to deal
With some fucking rat
Especially
While I was fucking
And that rat
Was running loose

Listen I said
Why don't we go to my place
Or better yet
Lets get a hotel

Why, she said
Were here
And she told me
To pay the driver
And like an idiot
I did

Then we walked up 
The three flights
And I couldn't back out now
Even if I wanted to
She then took out her key
And she opened the door
And I knew that goddamn rodent
Was in there
Waiting for me

I walked into the living room
And there he was
Standing on the end table 
Nose snitching in the air

Goddamn that thing was ugly
He was brown 
And his nose was pink 
And he looked like he came 
Straight from the sewer 
And he looked 
Straight at me

Then I went over 
And I don't know 
What made me do it 
But I put my finger 
Down in front of him 
And he reached up with 
His two little rat hands 
And grabbed my finger 
And started to lick it

His tongue was rough
And his demeanor
Was one of
Gratitude

All he wanted
Was someone
To acknowledge
That he wasn't some creature
Damned by mythology
He was a living thing
That need love to
And in of that
I felt a community
With that goddamn
Ugly little rat

Then we went to bed
And took care of our selves
But I made sure
The door was closed 
Behind me
Tight

The next morning 
I got up
And he was
Were I'd seen him 
Last night
But he was lying there
Dead

Hey Rachel
I think your rats dead
I said

She came over
and took a look
Yeah, she said
He's dead alright 

Well, I said
You ok with that

I'm ok she said
They don't live very long
I'll get another

Then she went
To get yesterday's paper
And a dust pan
To clean him up
But I stopped her

That's aright I said
Let me do it
I'll take care of him