“I look at you,” he told me, “and I think to myself; now here’s a guy whose got it all: he’s over fed, has a nice watch on his wrist and his shoes, although not my style, are brand new. The only thing he doesn’t have are troubles and worries.”

“bartender,” I shouted, “I’ll take one more and the tab.”

“hey man what about me,” he asked, “mind topping me off?”

“and another one for the poor sap next to me.”

“you see what I mean,” he continued. “you can afford to buy drinks for yourself and for others. as for myself, they forced me into a war I didn’t support and I also got my *** shot off for a cause unknown. I was stripped of my emotions, gutted from my life, they sodomized my psyche, carved the dream out of my head and I was never given a chance at having children or a future. and all this happened before I ever held a beer or tasted a cigarette or had a woman in my bed.”

I didn’t bother responding
in hopes that he’d get the hint
but as expected, he was as
clueless as my ex-wife
and as he carried on
with relentless persistency
each word dug in like a cat scratch
and all I could do was clench my glass tighter and tighter to contain myself.

“I’ve been spit on, kicked out, beat up and let down,” he further continued. “the streets are hard and unkind and everywhere you go you’re unwanted and everything is locked. why do you think I pour into these bars late at night? to drink? naw man, I just need a place to go, a roof over my head you know?”

that was it.
I had enough.

I finished my drink,
got off the stool
and headed toward the exit.

“hey buddy,” he shouted, “can I get another one for the road?”

“no.”

“just one more?”

“NO!” I screamed.

“c’mon man, you’ve got everything and I’ve got nothing. what makes you better than anyone else?”

“now look here you bumbling idiot…”

“but…but…but…” he interrupted.

“I’ve heard your tales of woe and now you’re going to listen to me,” I said sternly. “I look overfed because of poor diet and lack of exercise caused by working 60-80 hours a week with no time to take care of myself. I have a nice watch and new shoes but it came with a price. I’ve traded in my freedom for comfort, my time for materials and any chance of love for success. you say I have everything and you have nothing? I say you’re wrong. you’ve got something I no longer possess and that my friend is soul. don’t lose that. don’t buy into the mold. don’t conform. don’t become like everyone else. most of the people you see in here have imprisoned themselves into their own personal hell. that’s the way society wants it. but you’re free. truly free. and another thing… don’t worry about sorrow. everyone’s got problems and nobody wants to hear about it. why do you think people are in here? for the enjoyment? no, there here to forget. just. like. you.”

“******* *******! I don’t need a lecture from you or your cheap advice. all I need is a ******* drink!”

…and with that,
I walked out into the
dark and empty streets
where they greeted me
with their silence.

Once upon a time there lived a child
This child had a name, william as his mother has it written
Well this child, much like the winds of the arabian desert, was alone, in a vast land, drifting his way through life, without purpose, and at every corner, there was always someone there, who didnt care about him, who taunted and teased him as though he was a goldfish stuck in a tank, well this child, william, began to lose hope in the end, he turned to bad people who influenced him to do bad things and learn bad skills, william, naive as he was, thought that those people loved him, he was wrong, in only the short span of a year william grew from a lonely boy, to a bad man, at least thats how he saw himself, until one day...this boy drifted around the corner once more with a look of greed in his eyes and saw a beautiful angel, he teased the angel as he saw fit to do by denying her chance to kiss him, pulling away at the last second and making out her romantics to be nothing more than a teenage lust brought on by simple hormones and such of that nature, but...little did he know...this girl had suffered a similar fate at youth as one he had been accustomed to, and she looked at him with unwandering eyes and a sympathy that the boy had never seen before in his life, she showed him kindness that he had never experianced from anybody in his whole life, she, this beautiful angel, with the same hardships and characteristics as he, proposed ice cream, roller skating,  simple,fun things, that made him feel like a child...she looked at him and what she saw was not a bad person in disguise trying to rip apart the world one broken heart at a time, she saw a young child blossoming into a young man right before her very eyes, and she kissed him, and he kissed her...fireworks, a match made in heaven, the boy had never felt love as great as the love he expressed in her company...and he lost the bad guy that was a parasite on his life...and that caused trouble...when he tryed to break up with a girlfriend...a couple actually...there was no truly bad man left in him to break the hearts of 2 young ladys that were a blotch on his perfect white shirt of a life...and even through this difficult task...even through the lies that this young individual weaved, the betrayal, the immence regret...she, the beautiful angel, although heartbroken, stuck by his side, helped him to end it with 2 ladies he didnt have the heart to be rid of, and she held him in her arms, and they cried together, and they loved together...and all of that passed nearly from their memory...but he could never forget, and he will be making it up to her with his eternal love forever, but not because he feels obligated, but because he loves her and he always will, and now that she is going through something in her life, that he cannot help with, he can do nothing but feel helpless...and continue loving her, no matter what

Because she is the only one who has ever loved him for who he really is...for the man he was born as, and so that cuncludes this story, i cant say they lived happily ever after, because honestly, i dont know that they did or that they will, all i know is...he is going to try...i am...going to get her back...because she is the only girl who has ever or will ever understand me and truely love me