the drink

i walked into a tavern
exhausted with life
for a drink.
from a corner of the bar
i picked up an empty glass
and placed it before the barman.

“a drink please”

he said, “sure”
then holding a wrist over the glass
slit a vein
and filled my cup.

i drank.
asked for another
drank again, and then
asked for the bill.

“there’s no bill, sir”
he said,
“there’s blood a-plenty
and it’s free.”


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . paul mathew