Time Attack / oil / canvas / 15 x 14.5 in

The First Thing I had to Give Up

it wasn't the worst thing,
it wasn't the most expensive:
most valuable
most prized
rarest, coveted, sought after, fought over
obsessed about, idolized, And
even it was not that useful,
or beautiful
or held in the highest regard;
but it was the beginning
and signaled the end
for me,
when I lost the key
to my personal cellar
located eighth floor
next to the orchids
at the Roosevelt Club Shanghai.