Scene from the Life of Drunken Poet

Posted on 2023-04-06 by Bartholomew Barker

Take a breath before taking the shot
that way you won’t smell the liquor
and it won’t taste as bad

at least that’s what I’ve heard
as I twirl my wine and smirk
at my companion with her tiny glass.

Wine is superior. Inhale the bouquet
before taking a sip, use all your senses
to experience the art of the vintner.

She’s flicks her wrist to send the tequila
flying over her tongue then squints,
neck muscles tighten and her smile
turns upside down until the chaser.

I’m glad I didn’t convert her.
I’d miss that expression washing
over her flawless face.

(For today’s prompt, write a poem that smells.)

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About Bartholomew Barker

Bartholomew Barker is an organizer of Living Poetry, a collection of poets in the Triangle region of North Carolina where he has hosted a monthly feedback workshop for more than decade. His first poetry collection, Wednesday Night Regular, written in and about strip clubs, was published in 2013. His second, Milkshakes and Chilidogs, a chapbook of food inspired poetry was served in 2017. He was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2021. Born and raised in Ohio, studied in Chicago, he worked in Connecticut for nearly twenty years before moving to Hillsborough where he lives and writes poetry.
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4 Responses to Scene from the Life of Drunken Poet

  1. luvgoodcarp's avatar luvgoodcarp says:
    2023-04-07 at 06:23

    Great imagery. Especially in the final paragraph. Or is it a stanza? Canto? Uh-oh, I better delete this or I’m going to look like a fool.

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  2. berniebell1955's avatar berniebell1955 says:
    2023-04-07 at 11:14

    There’s a drink known in Scotland as ‘Buckie’.

    In ‘The Longest Crawl’ by Ian Marchant, he asks a drunk why he drinks Buckie cold – the answer is ‘’Cause then it doesna’ taste so fuckin’ shite’.

    It definitely isn’t drunk for the taste – just the effect – which is….

    https://www.theguardian.com/society/shortcuts/2014/feb/03/buckfast-triangle-alcoholic-drink-monks-west-scotland

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