He Promised Me La Poem by Lindsay King

He promised me LA
He'd make me-
And I loved it,
Every word and every sound
Practicing to make perfect
He'd get it
And I'd pretend not to see
The hovering red flag
I was on a one way trip
Down to self destruction
It wasn't the glamorous
Southern California
He said it would be

He promised me LA
And he meant it-
But he said he was more pained
When the knife settled in me
If I fell, he said he went harder
But he's on a cushioned couch
As I scratch my wounds
It's not LA,
But it sure as hell is a wasteland
As I scream his name
He changes the channel
Like I can turn the page

He promised me LA
The proverbial ring on the finger
He'd stand by my side
So long as I never collected on it
Like a wasted movie star,
Or looking to the valley for beauty
-It's a lie
He promised me LA
But left me to die in Sacramento