Lost and Found

Lost and Found by Edmund Siejka It was late He needed a drink Sitting in an empty bar He let the familiar smell Of cold grease and stale beer Wrap him in its comfortable embrace. On the opposite wall He stared at his reflection in the mirror Trying to ignore The lines And deep furrows in his face He couldn’t blame anyone for them Only himself. Well, well, how we doing Bobby? The barkeep asked Long time no see. What’s new in the doorman business? He replied, I open a door and I get tipped I carry a package and I get tipped That’s what’s doing So, skip the small talk Tommy Give me a Dewar’s and I’ll leave you a tip. His drank it neat. That’s some fancy apartment building you work at Bobby. Tommy, it’s all a young crowd They got the money and all the breaks Today, it’s all about the texting and iPhones They walk through the lobby In their own world Nothing else matters to them. Bobby, want another?” Guess so. Seeing that I’m sitting here with an empty glass. Still counseling vets are you? When I’m called. You see Tommy Most of the problems these vets Have is money, jobs and family I call them the holy three And we never did right by them Especially the Viet Nam vets. Holy three? I like that Bobby. Got it from a book? No, it’s all from me. You don’t have to Have book learning to help people. Finishing his drink He left Outside, the night air felt good In the quiet of the City He realized that what he really wanted Was to be left alone.