poem of the day 08.14.10

obligations

i come in from
the eight hour day
the evening shift

there is wine and beer
and scotch in the fridge
thus making me
the happiest i’ve been in eight hours

do you want to
stop at the joint and get
a drink after work tomorrow? my wife asks.

sure, i say
although we quit going
to the bar two weeks ago
for both personal and aesthetic reasons

i thought it would be nice, she says
besides i walked by there on the way home
and the place just looked so lonely

it was just b.j. and ivan
sitting there nursing their drinks

i made the mistake
of looking inside just
as walt (the bartender) looked up

did he see you? i asked

i don’t know, she says
i think so

maybe we’ll just stop by
for a couple
before we come home and have dinner

how does that sound? she asks

fine, i say
getting up to refill our drinks

i guess we owe them a visit.