he announces
that he prefers bourbon
to a kiss

says he’s sure he’s had his last kiss
and the sting of whiskey is better
than a bruised lip

besides
“whiskey” sounds almost like a kiss
if you say it fast

if you kiss fast and do not let it linger
the way a bourbon lingers
you can fool yourself for a long time

he confides to the bartender
who is trying to pull away
that he does miss

a first kiss — can’t recall
what it’s like to kiss someone
the first time

the way he can’t recall
his first whiskey
but he keeps trying

and drink up he says
to the rest of the bar
drink up

someone should give me a kiss
for old time’s sake
someone should kiss me

for all the booze i’ve bought here
for all these years
drink up and i’ll tell you another one