Capital T

I’ve been here so many times before,
With Trouble knock-knocking at my door.
I know in my heart that I can’t win,
But I close my eyes and let her in.

Ugly, rotten, and evil being.
She drools and grins upon seeing
Me holding the doorknob in my hand,
Weak and unwilling to make a stand,

“Hello silly fool,” she says to me,
“I am here to help you, can’t you see?”
Maybe this time she’ll do what she says.
And maybe I believe her because

She used to be a friend, long ago
Before I got the nerve to say no.
She was beautiful during those days,
And I was ignorant of her ways.

A glass of wine, she gives me a taste,
Then places her soft hands on my waist
And says, “Let’s dance until the band stops,
Or until we’re busted by the cops.”

At first, we’re having so much fun;
I believe this time I’ve truly won
The heart of the woman I longed for,
What more could a man want? Nothing more.

But in the back of my mind, I know
This is not a better place to go,
Then sure enough, I suddenly see
That Trouble has dug her claws in me.

No one knows this, not even my wife,
How close I am to taking my life.
Too old for this misery and more,
I laugh and kick Trouble out the door.

The storm cloud recedes, and all is right.
She came to turn the day into night.
But once again, for the umpteenth time,
I let the sink drain swallow her wine.

She’ll always be, should I change my mind,
And she’ll always be easy to find,
In the shadows, or under the sun.
But here in the meantime, I have won.

Alive one more day, to fight again.
And she will return, aiming to win.
And I will put up another fight;
Until I die, she will test my might.

Some are gambling, and some are drinking.
Some tell lies without even thinking.
But it’s always been the same for me.
It’s Trouble with a capital T.