Maybe, it is simply because
they
provide all necessities of life,
smiling and calling us “honey”—
whatever’s
on tap.
Mere presence is life affirming,
a semblance
of social construct we all need
as we drink ourselves to death—
a look in
the mirror.
Tomorrow, we re-belly up,
another
round of affirmation,
a double whiskey back—
one more .
. . and the check.
My poem, "Another Bartender Love Affair," is included in Issue 21 (January 2017) of Shot Glass Journal, an on-line journal devoted to short poetry published by Muse-Pie Press. You should treat yourself to the jewels contained in the entire issue, but here is a direct link to my poem.
Eric
