a drink between friends

The bottle left his hand aimed

It could have been the hand of a pro bartender

But it wasn’t

Only the hand of a frequent drinker

But a gentleman just the same

It slid across the floor and made the sound

A half empty glass bottle of whisky makes 

Sliding across

A marble floor

Into the palm of a friend

Whisky is a familiar, comfortable fire between friends

A short burn that dies in the belly

But not before rekindling old embers

Beyond the unseen glow of two silhouetted men

Sitting on the floor before a tall window 

With dwindling sunset behind

And a bottle of Chivas Regal being passed around

Mouth to mouth

Like Jack Daniels

The warmth of their breath

Mixes lies with their reasons

And their clouded memories

Grow grander as their laughter

(some of it real some of it not)

grows louder

It barely masks their ambition

Their voices turn in the air

Until it smells like snakes between them

With each narrowing eye

Their tone is as shrewd

As the night is black behind them

And the facade of old friends

Gets rich

With the prospects tomorrow might bring

Should the two

Continue to drink like gentlemen

And thus settle accordingly

Reviews

[Brittany Zedalis]

╰☆╮Wow, nicely done. The imagery is superb. Only one thing: In the last stanza, 4th line in, did you mean "shrewd" instead of shrude? Just wondering. Anyways, this is really awesome. It tells an interesting nostalgic tale. Great work.╰☆╮

[m.s.early]

Thanks. Yes, shrewd :)

[Puck]

"The warmth of their breath
Mixes lies with their reasons
And their clouded memories
Grow grander as their laughter"

You craft a story with your words that goes beyond plot and delves into the raw emotions of human interaction. I'm digging your poetry. Your perspective adds depth to daily life. It's a treat to read.

[paul sal.....]

I like barley and hops concoctions

[Corset]

Maybe that is why they say to never mix business with pleasure. The descriptive in this write are wonderful, I don't have a clue why I get the impression it was a woman named whiskey that was getting passed around between friends, should never date an old lover of a friend, cause in the back of their mind they remember, and the new lover knows they know every inch of their loved one, drink tends to draw things out that lie beneath the skin, awesome work. I especially enjoyed:

[~]

A warm story of the stubborn friendship which always prevails in any situation. I love the reference of "gentlemen" attitude, something that is not so easy to maintain after drinking "accordingly".

[Lydia Shutter]

There's something very special about being with a friend who understands your history and shares some of it. There is a familiarity that can not be matched with just met acquaintances. It seems that these two friends might have some disagreements, but they will work them out because of the history they share. A well told story. Lydi**

[m.s.early]

Thank you so much Lydia. Your visits are deeply appreciated :)

[Gypsy Warrior Queen]

Maybe it's just me or the shrewdness of my heart as of late but I do not see two men sharing a drink. I see two men with allot of history standing in the same spot in time...maybe thinking the same thing about one another...maybe not thinking or just feeling the tension of it. calling a truce for the moment maybe. It makes me wanna reach for the whiskey bottle, makes me wanna burn, makes me wanna forget now, then, and tomorrow...but what good would that do? Thought provoking and real as always X!

[m.s.early]

Thank you Queenie. Two old friends not letting their relationship come between business.

[Alfred Kukitz]

X

The beauty of your work is the story fascinates me throughout the entire piece. Love your narratives! Of course you end, as always, with that great punch giving your pen a championship ring.

Regards,
Al

[Beccy]

Really enjoyed this. You painted a wonderfully atmospheric picture of those two friends sharing both that bottle and the unspoken familiarity and understanding that only comes with true friendship.

Beccy.

[Bright Ocean Star]

Xavier, this is a great story about male bonding and a bottle of whiskey. Not something I have any experience in, but that makes it all the more interesting. I love looking into the mind of males bent on tying one on and sharing their bottle. Very, very nice writing. I truly enjoyed it. Only thing...spelling on "shrude"... you meant "shrewd" most probably....that may have been intentional...sort of like a physical manifestation of the drinking the whiskey might make to a really good writer, perhaps? Very nice, indeed!