How I Get By in the Third World...

Turn to Gin

So this is what it’s come to
Life abroad in limbo,
My hairline and patience wearing thin
Soon it will be evening
Twilight, shade of grieving
No leaving, I turn to gin




I’ve got no one else to blame
Wanderlust fueled the flame
Scorching sun toughens my skin
Stranded, lost and shipwrecked
A Gilligan of the intellect
I reflect and turn to gin

Gin, I fear
Cold and clear
If you’ve a better idea
I’m all ears

City buildings wreathed in wire
Barbed and loaded guns for hire
Car alarms wail above the din
Gray exhaust perfumes the air
Bookstores are a sad affair
With consummate flair, I turn to gin

Exile and the bourgeoisie
Agony and the ecstasy
Fail to embrace the culture is a sin
But I’d consider turning gay
Just to see a Kushner play
Dismayed, I turn to gin

Easily bored and feeling weak
My lamentation’s not unique
Eschew the booze, bear the blues, and grin
I’m not cut out for martyrdom,
And after all’s said and done
She comes, my faithful gin

Gin, King Lear
Cold and clear
If you’ve a better idea
I’m all ears

Goddamn finally finished writing this,
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
September 26, 2011