Tuesday, May 26, 2009

A "Man"



As the amber liquid
poured into my gullet
I winced;
Harder every second to drink than the last
I forced myself to grin and bear it

The tingling pins that pricked my face
upon completion of a few bottles
was now more akin to a headache
than a fuzz

Still I choked down more

Grasping at the fleeting happy buzz
Of bubbles behind clear glass
now suds
they cleansed my throat and mind

But I felt no better

A lager could never satisfy me
lacking even the basic satiating
ability of water or harder alcohols

It was just something men do
Men binge on brews
and cuss and intimidate

Men arrive late holding the hand of a girl they just met
Men joke about intimacy with their peers in secretive boldness
With girlfriends just out of earshot

Their cheeks red with laughter and too much liquor
Their women with embarrassment

Beer always disgusted me
I imagine it always will
"No, you'll grow to like it"

I don't ever want to
Trying to live on other people's terms
Leaves a bitter taste


I'd just as soon purge it from my mouth
Than deal with a hangover
from betraying a truer identity