Bar Back by Clay Hunt

When he couldn’t make words anymore

and the charming light left his eyes,

is when the shell of who he was took over,

and his truer self was pushed in. 

The saddest part was the smile he wore as

more shots went down his throat.

C’mon man, we gotta close the bar.

Not every girl needs your attention.

You need your attention. 

When his lightless eyes looked into mine

and sounds that passed for words 

ransacked my ears,

I saw a version of myself surface.

I cried a little inside

knowing that he could be stumbling 

through a world not meant for us.

The next party was waiting for him,

like it always waited for me. 

Clay Hunt is the author of three chapbooks, the most recent being “Sewn-on Patch” from Between Shadows Press. His work has appeared in The Raw Art Review, Beyond Words Literary Magazine, Paper and Ink Zine, and others. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from UC Berkeley. He lives in San Francisco.