some black girl at my work
at the job I work at
there’s a black girl
and she is awfully beautiful
and she always flirts with the
boys just a bit younger
than her.
one day as I stocked bags
and watched people die as they
handed away a week’s check in baby food
drinks
and everything to survive
she came up behind me and
said,
“come on, you should buy me a drink one day.”
so I did
that same night
and when she finished
her drink and I
my own
I said,
“come on, now you buy me a drink.”
and she did.
then she looked up from her drink and
looked across the room.
“Is that joey!?”
“joey? I don’t know,” I said.
joey was a good guy. 19 years old.
and he had a problem with finding a woman
that would love him like he
felt he needed to be
loved. he was a moron
who pretended to be jolly and
goofy to hide a deeper
death that swells on
all of ours throats.
she chugged her drink and
got up.
“joey!” she said, running
across the room.
we were in the Red bar
down on Business 83
on a Saturday night.
Joey didn’t hear her the first
time but when she was just feet away
and shouted again
at the top of her lungs
he turned and saw me first
then her.
“oh, hello, Steph. I didn't think I’d see you here,”
he said, looking at her with that
wide goofy smile
and those eyes of brown.
she reached to touch his arms,
like she always did with muscular men,
like myself, like
him.
“I was just here having a drink with Seth. You know,
as friends…”
I waved the waiter over and
ordered another whiskey on the rocks.
he left and
prepared my drink.
Stephanie brought Joey over to
our booth table and sat him down first.
“Hey, Seth,” he said, sticking his hand out
toward me.
“I ordered a drink for myself. I didn't know if you two were coming over here.”
Stephanie looked upset. “Oh, you know I’m always up for a drink.”
I nodded and
waved another waiter this way.
“yes, sir?”
“bring me two whiskey’s on the rocks. But for the lady,
give her as little rocks as possible.”
he left and just a while later
my waiter came back with
my drink.
they went on and on
and even after
their drinks came and
were half-empty
they were still at it.
I was well onto
my forth drink and
they were downright
kissing one another.
I felt apathetic about the whole thing
and got up and went to my waiter
and told him that Joey was only 19
years old
and that I was leaving.
I paid my bill and
the one drink I bought her
and left.
it’s always a callous of sorts walking
into your own apartment alone
looking at the same white walls and
seeing the TV still on
and the cat
sprawled across the floor licking her anus and legs and
smiling at the gods.
I poured myself a drink of Merlot and
sat on my couch
and smiled.
there’s a black girl
and she is awfully beautiful
and she always flirts with the
boys just a bit younger
than her.
one day as I stocked bags
and watched people die as they
handed away a week’s check in baby food
drinks
and everything to survive
she came up behind me and
said,
“come on, you should buy me a drink one day.”
so I did
that same night
and when she finished
her drink and I
my own
I said,
“come on, now you buy me a drink.”
and she did.
then she looked up from her drink and
looked across the room.
“Is that joey!?”
“joey? I don’t know,” I said.
joey was a good guy. 19 years old.
and he had a problem with finding a woman
that would love him like he
felt he needed to be
loved. he was a moron
who pretended to be jolly and
goofy to hide a deeper
death that swells on
all of ours throats.
she chugged her drink and
got up.
“joey!” she said, running
across the room.
we were in the Red bar
down on Business 83
on a Saturday night.
Joey didn’t hear her the first
time but when she was just feet away
and shouted again
at the top of her lungs
he turned and saw me first
then her.
“oh, hello, Steph. I didn't think I’d see you here,”
he said, looking at her with that
wide goofy smile
and those eyes of brown.
she reached to touch his arms,
like she always did with muscular men,
like myself, like
him.
“I was just here having a drink with Seth. You know,
as friends…”
I waved the waiter over and
ordered another whiskey on the rocks.
he left and
prepared my drink.
Stephanie brought Joey over to
our booth table and sat him down first.
“Hey, Seth,” he said, sticking his hand out
toward me.
“I ordered a drink for myself. I didn't know if you two were coming over here.”
Stephanie looked upset. “Oh, you know I’m always up for a drink.”
I nodded and
waved another waiter this way.
“yes, sir?”
“bring me two whiskey’s on the rocks. But for the lady,
give her as little rocks as possible.”
he left and just a while later
my waiter came back with
my drink.
they went on and on
and even after
their drinks came and
were half-empty
they were still at it.
I was well onto
my forth drink and
they were downright
kissing one another.
I felt apathetic about the whole thing
and got up and went to my waiter
and told him that Joey was only 19
years old
and that I was leaving.
I paid my bill and
the one drink I bought her
and left.
it’s always a callous of sorts walking
into your own apartment alone
looking at the same white walls and
seeing the TV still on
and the cat
sprawled across the floor licking her anus and legs and
smiling at the gods.
I poured myself a drink of Merlot and
sat on my couch
and smiled.