Tuesday, April 26, 2016

James Babbs- Three Poems


James Babbs is a writer, a dreamer, a three-time loser and an all-around nice guy who just wants to be left alone.  James is the author of Disturbing The Light(2013) & The Weight of Invisible Things(2013) and has hundreds of poems and a few short stories scattered all over the internet.


One Time

he said
remember that one time
when we got really drunk and
started walking around town
you know
back when we were in college
he started laughing
handing me another beer
from the cooler down by his feet
I twisted off the cap
tried shooting it
into the wastebasket
but watched it bounce off the edge
and land on the floor
he said
you kept screaming
at everyone you saw
until Jack and Gus tackled you
and told you to shut up
I nodded my head
and he laughed again
he drained the rest of his beer
before reaching for another one
he said
how about that one time
when you were wearing
Bob’s old army jacket
I said
yeah
why was I wearing his jacket
I don’t remember
he leaned back
gazing at a spot on the wall
he said
I don’t remember either
but you left the party
we were at and
when Gus and I came home
you were out in the hallway
slumped against the door
we thought you were some old bum
that had wandered in off the street
then we realized it was you
I nodded my head
yeah
then you guys grabbed me and
dragged me by my arms
and left me there on the floor
he said
that’s right
you stayed there the whole night
I laughed
I think I woke up
maybe one time
but I just rolled over
and went back to sleep
he said
yeah
you were still there in the morning
with Bob’s army jacket on
we both laughed
shaking our heads
before starting on another beer


Almost 5 O’clock

I thought I needed something
because
I just couldn’t get settled
so I opened the wine
and poured myself a glass
this same feeling all day
so I was glad to finally be home
I don’t know how long ago
I started drinking this stuff
I was never really much for wine
I’d always been a beer drinker
but I guess
somewhere along the way
I wanted something different
so I tried this cheap stuff
and thought it wasn’t too bad
not too bad at all
I took another drink
and looked through the window
it was almost five o’clock
out there the corn field
stood green and tall
like an advancing army
swaying beneath the sun


An April Weekend

it’s one of the most beautiful
days of the year so far and
I’m sitting in the shade
next to the garage
while up in the trees
the birds make lots of noise
yesterday
I got drunk again
after I finished mowing the yard
I took a shower and
put on my Batman t-shirt
then opened the first beer and
took a long slow drink
sun still bright
up there in the afternoon sky
but it was saturday and
I was feeling pretty good
had seven or eight more bottles
before deciding that was enough
now it’s sunday and
I’m still wearing the same shirt
not too long ago
before I came out here
I had a chicken sandwich
with pepper jack cheese and
I have to say
it tasted really good

1 comment:

  1. Even in my drunken stupor I made sure to keep my head close to the little drain in the hallway to catch the puke. After being drug into the apartment the coat was ceremoniasly ripped from my carcass.

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