Long Drives & Late Nights

9/29/21 @ Emo's

Austin, TX

The Struts 9/29/21 @ Emo's

Austin, TX

My gorgeous rock god Luke Spiller ❤

From the show 9/29/21 @ Emo's

His gritty, smoke-riddled voice,

the countless shots of whiskey

and years of wear and tear. It sounds

like heaven.

His music transports me.

At the show,

I witness a sea of sheer shawls in a kaleidoscope of patterns,

black eyeshadow and round sunglasses on every face,

flowing pants, and tight t-shirts,

Plethora of platform boots. We strut across

the concrete floor, drinks held high above every head.

Smoldering cigarettes send up

curls of blue haze, the scent of blazing cherries

burned in everyone’s hair.

Before me on that pedestal is a rock god incarnate:

glitter gleaming off his cheekbones,

casting an ethereal glow,

wild black hair falling perfectly over his

heavily lined hazel eyes,

grand gestures causing fringe to flow

from his leather jacket like wings,

a stage light halo atop his head.

I was hypnotized under his rock n’ roll spell.

We sway with the lilt of his voice,

we dance and clap

at his command.

We can’t break eye contact with him –

We’re at the mercy of his will.

His gorgeous, rough-hewn voice

is all that matters.

You and I were surviving another gloomy afternoon,

long-past rain glossing over the fallen October leaves

both of us wrapped in beat-up hoodies,

canvas sneakers soaked through with mud.

The end of the driveway, a miniature river

crawling across the cement;

We huddled next to my ’99 Ford pickup,

curling into the warmth of our cigarettes

that glowed with the beckon

of a familiar friend.

You didn’t want to talk – you just wanted

to sit in silence, shoulder to shoulder

listening to the sounds of melancholy.

And I was happy to oblige.