Why is it
that they
always make alcohol
so attractive..
They line it up
at bars with
lights and glass shelves,
with clean clear
glasses in all
shapes and hues,
they back light it
making all the colors
shimmer and shine
and looking like
the main star of
a show.
They dress it up
with umbrellas and
fancy stir sticks
and good looking
and friendly bartenders
serve you.
I often look over
at all the hoopla-
are those people
hurting themselves?
or their families?
by being drawn
into all this?
It it pulling
them so hard
that they can’t
pull away?
is the relaxation
or the drink
so intoxicating
That life isn’t as
fun without it.
Do the old drunken
stories take a
great place
in their hearts.
The glory days
of drinking
of doing outrageous
things, of being free
and easy and under
the influence,
still draw them in and
long for a different time.
I remember my Dad’s
beautiful bronze shot glass
carved with dark
black lines of
flowers and leaves.
It was beautiful who
knew that beauty
could destroy him?
You see my
Dad drank
a bourbon shot with
a six pack every single
night that I can
remember of his life.
He was more fun
and more relaxed after
a hard day’s work
and then later he would
become angry and sullen
and depressed and would
get sick nearly every
morning as the years
progressed.  What ever
happened to that
beautiful carved shot glass?
I think if I had it
I might toss it in the
trash-the pure beauty
of it, tainted in knowing
what would happen
in the end.