Extremism By John Drudge

It’s just another drunk 

At the bar 

Running his mouth too loud 

Spitting on the counter 

Waving his fists at ghosts 

It always starts with conviction 

With a purpose

But pretty soon 

It’s just another 

Wild-eyed rambler   

Screaming at traffic

Looking for a fight 

That doesn’t exist

And wandering in

For a quick drink 

Between rounds

But give it enough time 

And it all burns itself out 

Or burns everything down 

Either way 

The bartender’s seen it before

Another fool 

Too far gone 

To know they’re lost

John is a social worker working in the field of disability management and holds degrees in social work, rehabilitation services, and psychology. He is the author of four books of poetry: “March” (2019), “The Seasons of Us” (2019), New Days (2020), and Fragments (2021). His work has appeared widely in numerous literary journals, magazines, and anthologies internationally. John is also a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominee and lives in Caledon Ontario, Canada with his wife and two children.