Surface Tension

3:14 AM is a jagged little number.

I reached for the water and found the mess instead,

the blue streetlamp light catching the dust

on the stack of bills I’ve been ignoring for a month.

The glass tipped, and the water ran

over the melatonin and the loose change.

I didn't move to wipe it up.

I just watched it soak into the wood,

leaving a permanent, milky ring

where the finish has finally given up.