it was a week before I left for Marietta

and two of my friends from high school

were already at Kent State

so I drove down and we got in his car

and went to Geneva-On-the-Lake

I brought a case of malt liquor

and something called Rock n' Rye

sweet syrupy with prunes or peaches

or some shit

floating in a bottle

and things were a haze before we even got there

but I remember drinking gallons of awful 3.2 beer

topless dancers, dancing with someone

and then we were back in the car

and about a mile out of town

I sink into oblivion in the cushions

and the guy in the back lets forth

a mighty spew

right to left across the windshield

and the back of the driver's head

he runs out gagging and retching

not a drop on me

I pass again

somewhere later

I awaken

we are driving on the wrong side of the road

I grab the steering wheel pulling the car to the other side

when I wake next it is morning

we are parked in front of his dorm

front windshield opaque with vomit

a campus cop is standing next to us shaking his head

"How come you boys are alive?"

we certainly had no answer