Jan Hansen | + Follow Poet |
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The Drunk

The drunk

A thick plastic curtain of the type used in warehouses he could not see through
to other than shadowy figures moving around he knew he saw a past that 
no longer belonged to him.
He sat on the edge of his unmade bed, drinking warm beer when a sharp knock
 on the door of his flat
 it was the landlord looking at him with contempt, said he must pay the rent tomorrow or else! 
Despair sizzled through his body needed a strong drink one mixed vodka and cold coffee,
while asking himself how it had come to this losing his job because he had been 
 “outspoken”, told his boss to  off
Drinking the rest of the beer, he decided to take the bus to the farm he once lived
 as a child; he had been happy there and to trace his life from there
He got off the bus in a small town near the farm. needing a drink, but it must have been early
 the cafe had no ale he had a coffee which he mixed with vodka; when that
was seen they had told him to leave
He bought a tin of cola and sat in a park drinking thinking of this unfriendly town full of Jesus 
people with no sense of humor
He took a taxi to the farm, now a gated community the river was gone, the wooden bridge 
across it too, where he used to sit under and see tiny fishes nibble at his toes- gone, ing gone.
A man came and told him it was private property and looked as burly guard on duty
Down the main road where they were widening the road, a workers’ shed
he got in a found cold coffee and mixed it with vodka, he must have lost the sense of time
 all of a sudden it was morning the workers were coming.
He got a bus home and walked to his flat the landlord said his mother had paid the rent
 and taken my belongings she wanted to see him
At her flat sat many people, even the boss who had fired him; thought this assault is called 
intervention; telling him his problem was booze, he was a good guy when sober
 They left in time for him to go to the nearest café for a few more beers before closing time.
The next day, he had, a shower and dressed in clean clothes
 He went to a meeting where people appeared feverishly happy and laughing out loud.

Copyright © Jan Hansen | Year Posted 2023

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