Damon Hubbs

Double Shift 

In those days Peter was always trying 
to get me to play Keno 
but I was too busy doing shots 
of Fireball with Farrah to give a shit 
about games. Caroline and Lucas 
had just bought the Dogtown Bookstore.
Lauren was banned from The Pub for life.  
After Arty cut her off one night
she got pissed and called the cops
and told them Arty was serving minors. 
He never forgave her for that. 
Caitlin had just moved to town, 
Jill was dating the Viking, and my neighbor, Matt, 
tossed all of his wife’s clothes 
into the apartment dumpster every Friday night. 
She was young and had a nice body 
and wore sunglasses at six in the morning 
so everyone knew Matt liked to beat 
on that nice young body 
after he’d had a few down at Stone’s. 
In those days Toby was already dead 
and Holly was dying;   
Logan had lost his job at the Post Office 
after he crashed his mail truck 
on Blackburn Circle — a BAC of .23%, 
the lawyer saying not even Houdini 
could get him out of that one. 
In those days, you worked long hours 
at the hospital 
trying to put people back together 
after their hearts gave out. 
On Saturday mornings 
I’d help Matt’s wife 
get her clothes out of the dumpster 
and she’d give me a hand with love. 
Times were tough 
and double shifts the only way 
to make ends meet.