Ben's Next

today on the train
Jack was conjuring
the Dragon boat
in lost journals written
1956-57,

at U Street the civil
war was raging still,
tho in bronze cold form
and running before the
Gettysburg Address,

we stopped at
Ben's next door,
there was this guy in there
who couldn't sit,
didn't want to, he was up
following the waitresses,
ordering some Stella Artois,
"Daaaaaamn, this Stella is
goooo-ood!" he let the bartender know
as she attempted to slink away,
he was full of fucking energy,
walking table to table and inbetween,
taking in the scene in which
he was the spectacle,

I felt bad for his kids,
huddled up together
eating their wings,
ignoring their dad trying to
fuck, showing off, dancing
by himself,

when he slowed down
they paid for the food,
got up silently and left,
I watched them pass
Sportscenter and tried not to look.