Staying Classy
I called my Uncle Rich
late one night
from my favorite tavern
in town
I had to let him know
they were now serving
his favorite beer,
Schaefer.
The one beer to have
when you’re having more than one.
When he answered the phone
I said, “Hey!
I’m drinking a Schaefer tonight.”
He responded deadpan
“I thought you had
more class than that.”
and handed the phone to my aunt.
The years have disappeared
like cigarette smoke in the wind
since I gave his eulogy
that broke me into a million tears.
I think about him often
and I hope that wherever he is
he’s drinking a nice, cold Schaefer,
laughing and feeling as classy as ever.
Jake St. John has been referred to as “a neo-beat adventurer” who spends his time scratching down poems from aloft barstools scattered around New England. He is the author of several collections of poetry, including his latest, The 13th Round (Six Foot Swells Press, 2025). He is the editor of Elephant and is considered an original member of the New London School of Poets. His poems have appeared in print and online journals around the world.
