Lost and Found

Lost and Found
by Edmund Siejka

It was late
He needed a drink
Sitting in an empty bar 
He let the familiar smell 
Of cold grease and stale beer 
Wrap him in its comfortable embrace.

On the opposite wall 
He stared at his reflection in the mirror
Trying to ignore
The lines 
And deep furrows in his face 
He couldn’t blame anyone for them
Only himself.

Well, well, how we doing Bobby? The barkeep asked
Long time no see. What’s new in the doorman business?
He replied, I open a door and I get tipped 
I carry a package and I get tipped
That’s what’s doing  
So, skip the small talk Tommy 
Give me a Dewar’s and I’ll leave you a tip. 

His drank it neat.

That’s some fancy apartment building you work at Bobby.
Tommy, it’s all a young crowd  
They got the money and all the breaks 
Today, it’s all about the texting and iPhones
They walk through the lobby 
In their own world 
Nothing else matters to them.

Bobby, want another?”
Guess so. Seeing that I’m sitting here with an empty glass.
Still counseling vets are you?
When I’m called. You see Tommy
Most of the problems these vets 
Have is money, jobs and family 
I call them the holy three
And we never did right by them 
Especially the Viet Nam vets.
Holy three? I like that Bobby. Got it from a book?
No, it’s all from me. You don’t have to 
Have book learning to help people.
 
Finishing his drink
He left 
Outside, the night air felt good
In the quiet of the City
He realized that what he really wanted
Was to be left alone.

Copyright © Edmund Siejka | Year Posted 2018

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