i sit

drenched in sweat

from working too hard

for far too little

with my gut

hanging over my jeans

and my nose

different than it was

ten years ago

bumped and battered

from the beer in my hand

and the cigarettes

in the ashtray

and

i think back

to when my wife met me

fifty pounds ago

before i was a drunk

when i smoked

a pack a week

instead of

a pack a day

when we knew i would

be a famous artist

and i take a swig

and think of how

unrecognizable

i am now

but she is still here

but she still loves me

and to that

i say

cheers