The Bartender

Twenty two years had passed by She blinked, and a lifetime had passed She started this job as a lark She never thought it would last Two husbands and rehab were part of this bar The husbands...her clients all knew But the rehab, was hers...and hers all alone Only one in her family knew She'd been tending bar here for 3 presidents plus Two popes, two husbands....one queen There were things in this bar that were secreted away There were things just not meant to be seen Say, 4 fights a week for 22 years That's four thousand six hundred fights That's more violent acts than one person should see That's a lot of just mind numbing sights As a tender of bar, she was part doctor as well Serving drinks, and giving advice She was hit on as well, and most she turned down But some, they succeeded....some twice They would come with their problems spill their guts to this girl Who they'd probably just met that night They would tell her their problems and drink a few ales When they left, they would be feeling all right But, Mary...poor Mary would harbour their pain She'd help them, but could not let things go They'd cheer up with her talking and 1 or 2 beers But she hurt, and would leave feeling low There was always a someone on the tales other end Who was home, maybe beaten or mad But, Mary....she talked to the one who'd come out And she always left feeling quite sad The stories they told her, she never asked them to tell But they came and they opened on up And she as their hostess just listened and served Whle they sat there, getting full in their cups She married two men that she met in the bar Both left wives, and poor Mary was blind They both charmed this girl, till she was way too far gone And she learned that love..yes, was blind She had a young niece, that her sister had left She was going to school here in town If there was one person alive who could bring Mary up Her niece Amber was the proverbial clown After marrying twice and divorcing just once Mary vowed not to do it again But, she was hit on each night in this bar Down the lane, by a considerable number of men Her first husband...a lout, for better want of a term Was a drunkard, and jealous most days But she fell for him hard, for his sad tale of woe And her marriage lasted 91 days He would come in each night after finishing work And would berate her for flirting for tips After leaving the bar, he would beat her at home Hitting low, just above Mary's hips Her boss saw her marks whens she was filling the fridge He kept quiet, but he told her to call A friend that he had, who would help Mary out He knew her marks were not from a fall Before Mary phoned she had incredible news Her husband had been in a crash Her problems were over and her bruises would heal And it all happened ...poof...in a flash During this time her sister ran off Leaving Amber for Mary to raise Though she hated her sister for leaving Dear Amber she loved, and she helped Mary get through the days But eight years along, with no outlet in sight Hearing tales and of other folks pain Mary reached out and she found comfort in A needle and a rock of cocaine for three years she spiked, shooting up every day spending money she stole from the till And during this time, she got married again He seduced her when she had no self will He knew of her problem and joined in all the same Just a leech come along for the ride He would help keep her secret, never telling her boss Never letting them know she was fried. Poor Amber found out, she walked in one June day there was Mary with her coke and her spoon When she looked at young Amber, she knew she must quit And she knew that she must do it soon Pure heartbreak she saw in that little girls eyes She could see how she thought she would lose Her Aunt like her mother, gone from her life Mary knew she would now have to choose Rehab was chosen, and her husband he left He found out that this train had now stopped his free ride was over, his meal ticket gone You could say that his bubble had popped Two years clean celebrated, at the bar with the kid Mary got some good news from her boss He was retiring to Texas and was selling the bar And he would sell it to her at a loss She was now the proud owner of a bar all her own Three doors down from Giannis on Hope She would run it precisely, the way she'd been taught She would run the bar clean, free from dope She would meet some great people, Some nights in for a drink And others that she wished would just leave She would listen to stories, some good some not quite so much And others just to hard to believe She would make friends with some people And others she'd ban, making sure that they left with a start She'd befriend Harry Cooper, the World War two vet Who would imprint his soul on her heart And Amber...yes Amber would come down to spend time She was fine and was going to school She was a classical junkie in the dark of her room And I tell you this girl was just cool Mary brought Amber up with morals and faith She would come when her Aunt made the call She would rather hang out at the bar every night Than to go with her friends to the mall Mary made peace with the demons she had She could leave the folks tales and go home But, now she had Amber and a reason to live And she would not have to do it alone the bar's past Giannias, three doors down to the right It's not large but she makes it make do There's some music out back from a bluesman as well Come on down and be one of the few Be a regular there, join up with the crowd It's not big but the beer's always cold You don't have to stay long, but you'll come back again For it's special....or so I've been told Tell Mary I sent you, you'll get a free drink And a free ear to hear of your tale But, leave your ciggies outside for you can't smoke in here You can do it outside by the pail.