poem of the day 05.21.09

gerald stern

two of them are sitting in a bar
talking about poetry workshops
and writing
while i’m trying to sit there
in peace
and drink a beer after working
six days straight
and he says to the other one
hey, i’ve met gerald stern.
do you know gerald stern?
the other one puts down his drink
and gives this long pause
then he says
novelist, right?
no, the other one says.
stern is a poet.
he’s been around for years.
i met him at a workshop that i attended
last month.
the other one takes a pull
on his drink
and shakes his head
then he takes out a pad of paper
and starts writing.
what’re you doing?
the first one asks.
are you writing down his name?
yes. what was it again?
gerald stern.
then the two of them get quiet
and sit there finishing their drinks
while these two tourist heifers
come into the bar and try
to sit right down next to me
even though the rest of the joint is dead
for a late saturday afternoon
i tell the one that someone is sitting
in the seat next to me
then i think about how i never really
liked gerald stern’s poetry
all that much
as she apologizes
and they both move down to the other
end of the bar.