Stolen Kiss. by Matt Amott

He's running late

so she moves down

to the empty barstool

next to mine.

We ramble on 

all afternoon

with our heads floating

in a sea of whiskey,

ranting and raving

about our travels

like two mad souls

reunited.

As she waits,

she kisses a cocktail napkin

to remove the excess

lust from her lips.

Then he arrives

and the lingering look

she held on me 

is gone.

Daylight fades,

long shadows

creep into the the bar

and The Cowboy Junkies

sigh Blue Moon

on the jukebox.

As I leave,

I set the mouth of my empty glass

over her red lips

stained

on a cocktail napkin 

to capture 

a kiss 

that never belonged 

to me.

(Stolen Kiss has appeared in The Coast Is Clear

 published by Six Ft. Swells Press)

Matt Amott is a poet, musician and photographer who wanders around the Pacific Northwest. He is co-founder and co-editor of Six Ft. Swells Poetry Press and has been published in numerous collections as well as two books of his own, THE COAST IS CLEAR (Six Ft. Swells Press) and GET WELL SOON (Epic Rites Press).  He can be reached and purchases made at afterhourspoetry.com.