Empress from In Relation by Cassia Hardy

In the waning days of the restaurant,
you could catch me at the end of the bar.

First cut,
discount drunk,
with my back to the
writing on the wall.

Just like on that night
with the lunar eclipse-
we couldn’t summon
one sorry soul to serve,

so we wandered out front
to that gravel lot
and howled
for all we were worth.

Chalk it up to a change in weather?
We both knew better.

The way word traveled
about last call
who couldn’t help but overhear?

A shame about the way
that summer went under
because the landlord’s
too dumb to cut a deal!

We boarded the windows and
bleached out the stalls-
who’d have thought this reign
would end in a crawl?

Contractors out back
wait to strip it all down,
they’re just happy to still have a job.
‘if you hear of anything
will you let me know whether?’

but we both knew better.

You could go your whole life,
never find a spot like that again.
Now you’re losing sleep
over some condemned derelict.

But never them,
that took the rent,
it’s only us with one less
jewel in the crown.
Left to scrounge,
I ain’t too proud

for another night
with the Monday crowd.
Take me back I wanna go right now!

Where it’s always gonna even out,
passing the same hundred bucks around.

• Alternative
• Treaty 6
• amiskwaciy
• indie rock
• pop
• songwriter
• Edmonton