his torso
barely supports
a crisp white shirt-
his forehead
violated by a jet black
wedge of his toupee--
and a businessman's
perfunctory
flirtation
with the scripted chatter
of the barmaid
(she assures us a few times
it is not the heat
but the humidity
that bothers her--)
looks to
his audience
staring into
the icy abyss
of frosted glasses,
an old man pipes up
and fawns over
a prized cat
who I think
with such suffocating attention
must be miserable
and I drink
to all this loneliness
made visible.
Photograph by Christopher Reilley
Doug Holder is the founder of the Ibbetson Street Press. He likes his Canadian Club straight no chaser.
Doug Holder's Columns in The Somerville Times
Doug Holder's collection at the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/@dougholder
Boston Area Small Press and Poetry Scene: http://dougholder.blogspot.com
Ibbetson Street Press: http://www.ibbetsonpress.com
Poet to Poet/Writer to Writer: http://www.poettopoetwritertowriter.blogspot.com
Doug Holder CV: http://www.dougholderresume.blogspot.com
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