THE SHORTEST DAY

worked my ticket

like a beavers dog/8 hours climbing 70s stairs

my new boots clumping me about

like 

a 

clumsy bear

    

now

drinking in some bar/some soulless red brick booze chain

8 hours in there

drinking like a mad fish!

i am

chasing cold beer bottles 

for 

a 

sweet whisky kiss

     and

all the women are over 40/shrieking and smutty

drinking fosters

drinking vodka red bulls

WITH ICE they yell at me WITH ICE

tiny tops

held up with thin straps 

showing

bare arms and elbows that are awkward or folded or flapping

skin is soft and hard-

drunk lizards in their go-out skin their tongues snakes

     slashing

at

the fat woman who doesn’t show up anymore

the shortest day is feeling 

disproportionately 

long