You

The crash of ice and rage against the glass

Where is my life going

Where has it gone

Violent

It mixes

It chills

To perfection

and

then is strained

Poured into its final designated resting place

Destiny at its finest

Brazen

Proud

Ego in a glass

Garnished with fruit and indignation

Perched properly

Perfectly

Tilted

Jilted

Just like yesterday

“What can I get for you?”

I would rather be somewhere else

But here they are

And so I am

Just like you

Restless to not make small talk

Please just order

Let me do

How significant they think they are

But I’ve seen better

I say enough to get a good tip

But this interaction is for me too

“Veuve please”

They say it wrong

Chatter drowns out the bad taste in music

The sound rumbles growing as does their buzz

The bottle is cold

Under a crisp linen

The awkward foil awaits

Along with the satisfying pop of better times

Just under a cage

It is perfect

Dulled by the cloth

Muted

But powerful

It’s been done many times

If it weren’t the froth of inexperience would go everywhere

Half foam

Half Vuve as it is pronounced

Takes up just enough of the narrow flute

What time is it-

I don’t want to know

The champagne is poured steadier then my life

How long can this last?

I hand over the masterpiece

She doesn’t even look as she holds it up

Cheers

No acknowledgement

And down her petty little throat

No one cares if your perfect

Only if you mess up

Who’s next

The heavy rubber matts squish a little underfoot

It’s a familiar comforting feeling

Glass is a bitch of a mess

Like last night

“Can I help you sir”

The cocky man rattles off a list of ingredients

He means a sea breeze

We both know this

The drink is made

The man happy

And so goes the dance

Not as wild as our dance

But a dance nonetheless

I’ll have a martini

How would you like it

Shaken not stirred with a twist

How ironic

Like our fight and how it ended

How I ended

Shaken

Garnished

Perfectly

Zest and everything

“Hey”

A blur comes into focus

A sing song voice

Announces the presence

Of trouble that knows me well

I respond the only way I can

As I polish the stained history off a glass

“Oh... it’s you...”

Upbeat she pretends

Underneath she’s brave

No fear showing through

Bright and alive

Not for you though

You had nothing to do with it

The presence in the room is suffocating

Yet intoxicating

I find myself wishing they would all disappear

Vulgar presences

Not her

Never her

I look as she measures up my soul

Then she smiles

A real smile

Softly

Just a hint

Then the fight

The night

Is full

Just like me

As I can see

The struggle was worth it

I poured us a shot

Anejo

Classy

Aged

Tested

Pure

Quickly a cheers

Melting down our throat

Warming up our hope

We lingered

They are so shallow

When what we have is real

And for the first time tonight

I wanted to be on the other side of the bar

“Excuse me” another one says

Surprisingly it doesn’t bother me

I’ll have an old fashioned

…and so it continues

I’ll ride this ride as long as I can

One day she will see something different in me

Not tonight

Tonight

I get back to my night

Better

Brighter

More forward

Like a good gin

I can settle for that

Let it go

Just for tonight