Man with Drink by Chandler Collins
Around midnight, the man decided he
would stop pretending to be someone he wasn’t;
from now on, he would just do and say as he pleased.
Firstly, he would stop trying to please everyone by
telling them what they wanted to hear; instead,
he would simply state his opinion–regardless
of the consequences. He also decided that he
needed to become more brooding and mysterious.
He would listen to Leonard Cohen; read Rilke and
Rumi. He would grow a beard and go to the gym;
where he would become lean, not muscular. He
would start sleeping with other men’s wives–like
the French. He would write poetry, and practice
yoga. He would learn to meditate and visualize
his dreams. He would follow a new path, and find
meaning in his life. However, conscious of the fact
he had made similar promises to himself before,
he decided that this time he would borrow a pen
from the bartender and write it all down.
That’s when she walked in.
–Bison Jack
she walked in around midnight
pretending to be someone he wasn’t
brooding and mysterious
telling them what they wanted to hear
sleeping with other men
regardless of the consequences
this time he would write it all down
he would write poetry
he decided that
this time
