On his 8th beer he decided to slow down.
After all, he did not want these people to think he was some sort of clown!
So, he grabbed a handful of peanuts off the bar and, with one last swallow, washed it all down.
This was getting to be his regular habit, how he spent his days, and nights, out on the town.
Sobriety was some memory long past and forgotten.
Now he spent much of his time drunk and besotten.
He stood up, too quickly it turned out, and stumbled on something on the floor that was rotten.
Where was the head, he wondered. He had to go so bad he headed for it trottin'.
By the time he drained his lizard, he was thirsty again.
He cleared away the many bottles that had collected and ordered a tonic and gin.
When he got it, he could not help but let out a big sigh and a huge grin.
He had remembered getting drunk with an old girlfriend who had led him into all sorts of sin.
She was a wild one, that one! She knew every position in the book
and treated him like he was some sort of highly talented crook.
Assuming he really had a lot of money stashed somewhere in some nook
she gave him everything she had to give and, boy, their room shook!
But, she ended up bitchin' about his plan to buy a great Trans Am
and she had to be let go. She ended up marrying some other drunk named Sam.
There were plenty more girls where she came from though, and - Shazam!
he was soon with another one. They met one night riding home on the tram.
She liked going to The Westerner, a dive bar with a club band that played every night.
She would love slow dancing to Lionel Ritchie songs and rubbing up against him - what a sight!
Then, one night out of the blue, she just up and asked him to marry her. Wasn't that a fright?
He ran off towards his hotel room but she followed him and gave him what he wanted out there in the broad daylight.
He had to get away from this broad. Luckily, his ship was getting underway
and he got to leave San Diego for 7 months or more; here he no longer had to stay!
So, he went overseas and there got to do even more than stateside, Talk about the chance to play!
He went out with different girls every night, sometimes three or four in the same day.
But, you could only party so much, so long. Eventually, it had to catch up with you.
For him, things became so routine that there was no longer anything new.
So, he started spending nights on board the ship along with the duty crew.
He would watch what they watched, eat what they ate (usually some sort of stew).
Eventually, they returned to home port and were once again in familiar territory.
He never saw that last girl again, so much the better. It was the same old story.
Go out and drink until he was drunk as hell, then watch some movie, often bloody and gory.
Then, seek out a cab to take him back to the ship. He didn't have a car, thanks to the girl, so all he had was some lory.
Then, one day, he ended up in the gutter alone and unknowing. He just laid there and people passed him by.
He stuck out like some bad case of the crabs. He could do nothing but vomit and shit and cry.
Then, out of the blue, a familiar voice spoke to him. He could not quite place it no matter how hard he would try.
It was that girl! The one who asked him to marry her. She felt pity on him and reached out through the filth for him, her guy.
He struggled up and looked her in the face. A pretty face after all. Why would she be so kind to him after he dumped her?
After he treated her unkindly and spat out at her every kind of curse and slur.
Why would she help him up and brush off his filth and wipe his mouth and then kiss him. Why did she endure?
He realized at that moment that an angel had come to his rescue, of this he was quite sure.
Later in life, he looked back at these days. Sober now and responsible. A working stiff. Santa's little elf.
He realized that he had been saved, rescued in the nick of time from himself.
So, as he placed the last book from the stack up onto the highest shelf,
he thanked all the gods for his good luck and wished each man the same for themself.
And as he drove home that night, he stopped in for one beer. Just one. A celebratory beer, because of his good cheer.
They found him the next day wrapped around a pole with his car. A monument to his own weaknesses.
Learn from this dear reader what you may. But, take at least this from it. Live each day as if it were your last!
------------------------------------------------
mindbringer, 4 July 2013
After all, he did not want these people to think he was some sort of clown!
So, he grabbed a handful of peanuts off the bar and, with one last swallow, washed it all down.
This was getting to be his regular habit, how he spent his days, and nights, out on the town.
Sobriety was some memory long past and forgotten.
Now he spent much of his time drunk and besotten.
He stood up, too quickly it turned out, and stumbled on something on the floor that was rotten.
Where was the head, he wondered. He had to go so bad he headed for it trottin'.
By the time he drained his lizard, he was thirsty again.
He cleared away the many bottles that had collected and ordered a tonic and gin.
When he got it, he could not help but let out a big sigh and a huge grin.
He had remembered getting drunk with an old girlfriend who had led him into all sorts of sin.
She was a wild one, that one! She knew every position in the book
and treated him like he was some sort of highly talented crook.
Assuming he really had a lot of money stashed somewhere in some nook
she gave him everything she had to give and, boy, their room shook!
But, she ended up bitchin' about his plan to buy a great Trans Am
and she had to be let go. She ended up marrying some other drunk named Sam.
There were plenty more girls where she came from though, and - Shazam!
he was soon with another one. They met one night riding home on the tram.
She liked going to The Westerner, a dive bar with a club band that played every night.
She would love slow dancing to Lionel Ritchie songs and rubbing up against him - what a sight!
Then, one night out of the blue, she just up and asked him to marry her. Wasn't that a fright?
He ran off towards his hotel room but she followed him and gave him what he wanted out there in the broad daylight.
He had to get away from this broad. Luckily, his ship was getting underway
and he got to leave San Diego for 7 months or more; here he no longer had to stay!
So, he went overseas and there got to do even more than stateside, Talk about the chance to play!
He went out with different girls every night, sometimes three or four in the same day.
But, you could only party so much, so long. Eventually, it had to catch up with you.
For him, things became so routine that there was no longer anything new.
So, he started spending nights on board the ship along with the duty crew.
He would watch what they watched, eat what they ate (usually some sort of stew).
Eventually, they returned to home port and were once again in familiar territory.
He never saw that last girl again, so much the better. It was the same old story.
Go out and drink until he was drunk as hell, then watch some movie, often bloody and gory.
Then, seek out a cab to take him back to the ship. He didn't have a car, thanks to the girl, so all he had was some lory.
Then, one day, he ended up in the gutter alone and unknowing. He just laid there and people passed him by.
He stuck out like some bad case of the crabs. He could do nothing but vomit and shit and cry.
Then, out of the blue, a familiar voice spoke to him. He could not quite place it no matter how hard he would try.
It was that girl! The one who asked him to marry her. She felt pity on him and reached out through the filth for him, her guy.
He struggled up and looked her in the face. A pretty face after all. Why would she be so kind to him after he dumped her?
After he treated her unkindly and spat out at her every kind of curse and slur.
Why would she help him up and brush off his filth and wipe his mouth and then kiss him. Why did she endure?
He realized at that moment that an angel had come to his rescue, of this he was quite sure.
Later in life, he looked back at these days. Sober now and responsible. A working stiff. Santa's little elf.
He realized that he had been saved, rescued in the nick of time from himself.
So, as he placed the last book from the stack up onto the highest shelf,
he thanked all the gods for his good luck and wished each man the same for themself.
And as he drove home that night, he stopped in for one beer. Just one. A celebratory beer, because of his good cheer.
They found him the next day wrapped around a pole with his car. A monument to his own weaknesses.
Learn from this dear reader what you may. But, take at least this from it. Live each day as if it were your last!
------------------------------------------------
mindbringer, 4 July 2013
