Grandpa’s Bourbon Bar by Sara Minges

Grandpa must have been a Scot,
smoked cigars and cigs like he was dying.

Kitchen always smelled like a chimney,
grandkids gathered around the bar
for another game of King’s Korner.

Every day at 5pm was “happy hour”
Grandpa declared.
Now, he may have rested on Sundays,
it being “church Sunday” and all.

Fourth of July parties at the lake house.
Grandma Jolene always checked
our rainbow cups had our names
written on masked tape with a sharpie.

Much safer this way,
especially for the underaged kiddos
that liked to drink Pepsi.

Grandpa offered to make Dad a drink once,
back when Mom and Dad were married.

Dad later told me Grandpa was
“quite the drinker”, almost
spit out the drink, because of
all the bourbon.

Years later I learned Grandpa
drove around with a loaded bar
locked in the trunk.

Explained why the drinks always
seemed to be flowing.
Grandpa kept his keys right up
to the last few months.   

King of a small town, driving around
With a bourbon bar locked in the trunk.

Sara Minges is a 2019 Pitch Best Poet of KC Nominee, Founder of Wonder Woman Rising, peer mentor, coach and motivational speaker living in Overland Park, KS.  She is the author of Naked Toes (Chameleon Press, 2019), and her work has also appeared in Prompts! An Anthology (39 West Press, 2016), Hessler Street Fair 50th Edition (Writing Knights Press, 2019) and Angel’s Share (Shine Runner Press, 2019).  She’s been a featured poet at Blue Monday (2015, Kansas City, MO); Swordfish Tom’s Speakeasy (Kansas City, MO); 3 Wishes (Merriam, KS); Poets & Pints (Minneapolis, MN); Mac’s Back Books, CLE Urban Winery, Visible Voices, and Glass City Roasters (Cleveland and Toledo, OH); In One Ear (Chicago, IL), The Porch (Nashville, TN) and Crescent Moon (Lincoln, NE).