You wipe the grill at three a.m. again
The coffee burns like gasoline in tin
A saxophone bleeds through the brick and stone
You're king of grease on this empty throne
That basement beam cuts blue across the alley floor
The watchman's Maglite hums a steady roar
You watch it pulse while eggs turn white in pan
A quiet king in Chicago's nightly plan
The regulars know better than to ask
Why you stare down at that dented flask
The trumpet coughs a solo through the vent
You flip a hash brown, wonder where it went
That basement beam cuts blue across the alley floor
The watchman's Maglite hums a steady roar
You watch it pulse while eggs turn white in pan
A quiet king in Chicago's nightly plan
The double bass walks heavy on the stairs
A muted horn answers upstairs prayers
Your spatula taps time on seasoned steel
This basement rhythm makes the night feel real
That basement beam cuts blue across the alley floor
The watchman's Maglite hums a steady roar
You watch it pulse while eggs turn white in pan
A quiet king in Chicago's nightly plan
Grey light hits the cracked linoleum floor
The flashlight dies, don't need it anymore
You serve the last plate, wipe the counter clean
The brightest king this basement's ever seen
That basement beam cut blue across the alley floor
The watchman's Maglite hummed its steady roar
You watched it pulse while eggs turned white in pan
A quiet king in Chicago's nightly plan
Now morning takes the shadow, leaves the glow
You'll catch that beam again when night winds blow
That beam returns when midnight calls
You'll be here flipping eggs and all
