Apr 04
Bartenders Don’t Read Nietzsche The short order cook dude from the joint around the block had a rep as a talker. Didn’t bother me any, when motivated, I could talk the bark off a tree, so I expected he was not much of conversational threat. I must not have been in the mood for talking …
Mar 25
Night Business I used to intentionally piss off the hot heads Say things to the crazies only they could hear so when they freaked out the whole bar would be behind me for their going off on me for no apparent reason I used to throw guys out I didn’t like the look of jerk …
Mar 21
Everyone wants to be a bartender It must be a great life I’ll bet all the girls must proposition you You must overhear some great stories, some wild conversations I’ll bet all the waitresses are wild I hear they’re like nurses, hot and horny all the time It must be great to get all that …
Dec 23
Michele McDannold, Collected Poems 2005-2025, 2025 Roadside Press. Distributed by Magical Jeep available on Amazon, 294 pages $20- As I began reading this substantial volume of hard-hitting, direct to your bloodstream poems, I could almost hear that country and western dude who used to yell, “Are you ready for some football?!” in the background. After …
Nov 10
The Shining She must have taken a shining to me Sat there looking at me with her lovesick puppy dog eyes Asked me if I wanted to go to a secluded motel somewhere and get it on as if I didn’t know what that would lead to in the end Alan Catlin worked for the …
Nov 03
Shopping She looked at him with her best bedroom eyes Hung on his every word as he spoke too long and too loud about anything that came into his head Slid forward in her seat as he offered her a drink said, “Sure why not I’ll have another How else will I ever learn your …
Oct 27
Call of the Wild They were very much into a Call of the Wild frame of mind Thought what they needed was another drug that would take them all the way into an abyss What they didn’t Know was that they had done more than enough drugs That they were already in the abyss & …
Sep 27
Terror Terror is waking up abruptly in a barroom eye to eye with a man you don’t remember ever having seen before breathing words like fire down your throat in the awful silence of a dream not a dream Alan Catlin worked for the better part of 34 years in his unchosen profession as a …
Sep 20
Blood on the Barroom Floor When it was over there was so much blood on the barroom floor it looked as if all of the pigs in the world had been slaughtered and dumped here for effect I didn’t have much worthwhile to say to the cops I was just so visibly impressed I let …
Sep 13
Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner Being here night after endless night watching the moon change phases within the dead eyes of the drinkers thinking of the loneliness of the boundless track that spins by in my head as I run from place to place ringing sales touching bottles rinsing glasses making drinks as if I …
