I finally understood Tom Petty
laying atop the art building
as college cop lights
dashed across canvas under
streetlights and stars.
The roof was wet and
the winds were cold
but fireball kept us warm
since we hadn’t graduated
to those harder proofs.
This was enough evidence
tonight was the dawn while
six more semesters sat
chilling in the dorms.
I walked back for refills
with just the dirt on
my clothes only to scale
the walls again and see
her breath chug across
the other side of campus.
She left the bottle with
a swig and I finished it
yet didn’t feel empty.
Even the losers get lucky
sometimes and this loser
found out sometimes
wasn’t tonight, but Tom knew
that sometime could be soon.