Bartender By Arvilla Fee

her hands are rough, red

too much soapy water

too many dipped beer mugs,

but they have a certain elegance,

a way of moving like butterflies,

swiftly lighting from mug to tap,

grabbing bottles, swiping the counter

with a clean white cloth;

she’s thin with long, dark hair,

a lotus tattoo on her shoulder

where her black tank exposes skin;

her bright blue eyes are alert,

in tune with every movement

around her, at constant attention

to meet the customers’ needs,

and yet there are faint purple shadows

resting like little half-moons just beneath,

and her bright smile belies the ache

in her back.

Arvilla Fee teaches English and is the managing editor for the San Antonio Review. She has published poetry, photography, and short stories in numerous presses, including Calliope, North of Oxford, Rat’s Ass Review, Mudlark, and many others. Her poetry books, The Human Side and This is Life, are available on Amazon. Arvilla loves writing, photography and traveling, and she never leaves home without a snack and water (just in case of an apocalypse). For Arvilla, writing produces the greatest joy when it connects us to each other. To learn more about her work, you can visit her website: https://soulpoetry7.com/