Bush Buzzed By John Drudge

You’re not supposed

To go on safari drunk

But I was never one 

For rules

Incorrigible

They used to say

I had had a few 

Pink gin and tonics

On tap

And a cold beer

Back at the lodge

And maybe some wine

At lunch

Watching the monkeys

Steal food

And spill drinks

Before heading back out 

For the afternoon 

Being in the bush

With a buzz

Is a trip 

There were moments 

I felt too brave

But I would catch myself

And think of dinner 

By the fire

And not wanting

To miss that

Or be that

So I watched the wildlife

Go by

With appropriate care 

And reserve

And then we stopped 

To watch the sunset

And had some more 

Gin and tonics

And Amarula on ice

And drove back to camp

In the dark

Under the stars

To have wine

With dinner

John is a social worker and disability management specialist with academic backgrounds in social work, rehabilitation services, and psychology. He is the author of eight poetry collections - March (2019), The Seasons of Us (2019), New Days (2020), Fragments (2021), A Long Walk (2023), A Curious Art (2024), Sojourns (2024), and Too Close to the Shore (2025). His work appears widely in international journals and anthologies, and he has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. John lives in the Caledon Hills of Ontario, Canada with his wife and two children, where a deep love of the natural landscape informs his writing.