Dressed like a
ninja
Sharp as a katana
Nodding at each
order
Killing every drink
“Kai YAH!” she
cries out
As her left foot
lifts up
Jammed off-balance
fridge door
And then kicks it
closed
Eyes that miss
nothing
Glances like
shuriken
This one needs a
refill
That one needs the
tab
Ten ringless
fingers
Yanking, washing,
pouring
Ten little ronin
Masterless and cool
“Do not make me
muddle!”
She commands a
stranger
Her samurai
top-knot
Firmer than a
pestle
All is precision
Not a wrestled
motion
Moving without thinking
Human shuttlecock
“Not a night for
chatting.”
Rueful but reality
Still she makes time to
Still she makes time to
Check in on each
friend
This one wants
Powers
This one vodka soda
That one wags his
fingers
(That one she
ignores)
Barely heard music
Roar of
conversation
Tsunamis of
drinkers
Crash against the bar
Knee deep in neat
shots
Hip deep in
Hefeweiss
Fighting off White
Russians
Drowning in Knob
Creek
Gone is the
top-knot
Face framed in
brown waves
Years drop away
like
Raindrops from a
leaf
One against fifty
Odds are impossible
Watch her
remarkable
Whittle them to
naught
Hair tight in
ponytail
Now she means
business
Countdown to
closing
Minutes pass like
days
Time like molasses
Everything’s a slow
pour
On her marble
shoulders
Walnuts can be
cracked
Slowly the barstools
Empty like a subway
car
What do I owe you
Here’s where I get
off
Cling-wrap the draft
taps
Wipe down the
service bar
Spilled beer on
wood smell
Makes her want to
cough
Gone are the
groupies
Gone are the
regulars
All that’s left is
family
And the mental fog
Time for a breath
now
Time for a little
Bartender yoga
Downward hair of
dog
Copyright 2012 Matthew J Wells
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