Springfield, IL (When There's No More Room In Hell)

i was 24

riding the Amtrak for the first time

with a six hour layover in downtown Springfield

i left the station looking for a slice of pizza

but before i found anything resembling a pizzeria

i found a dive bar

it was the dirtiest

sleaziest looking place

i had ever seen in a downtown location

i entered

a prince into a den of losers

all with worn out skin and dentally challenged

i ordered a rail

straight

while they all sucked up their bottles of shit beer

"fancy that"

they said

i winced and replied

"yeah"

these were some big bad motherfuckers

but i was a badger

and i wanted to make sure they knew it

my first drink went down fast

and i ordered another

patrons and bartender alike
were surprised

they thought i would quickly scare away

from their establishment

a tomb of the living dead

tooth decay in the air

mixed with Pall Mall smoke

and the odor of empty Budweiser bottles

truth be told

i kinda liked the place