Loose as a Goose by Mark Tulin

My uncle liked dumpy bars 
and women with big boobs
He drank cheap whiskey
with a Coke chaser
and never knew
a sober afternoon

He was as loose as a goose
on a Saturday night
He cracked open, warm peanuts 
and spit the shells on the floor
He ogled all the barflies 
and told dirty jokes 
to the barmaid with missing teeth

He could barely stand up
after six or seven shots
Most nights he said things 
to the wrong people, 
and smiled at women
who were full of deceit 

My uncle lost his hat 
during a bar fight
The bouncer tossed him
through a pane of glass
The fall shattered his pride,
but did nothing to stop
him from going back in
.
Bad luck seemed to linger 
on his musty breath
A wave of impulse always
preceded trouble.

Mark Tulin is a retired therapist from Philadelphia who now lives in California. He has two poetry books, Magical Yogis and Awkward Grace. His upcoming book, The Asthmatic Kid and Other Stories available to pre-order. Mark has been featured in Amethyst Review, Strands Publishers, Fiction on the Web, Terror House Magazine, Trembling with Fear, Life In The Time, Still Point Journal, The Writing Disorder, New Readers Magazine, among others.  Mark’s website, Crow On The Wire.