happy
hour
the vodka
tonics were
4.95 &
he said
he was
done
with
falling
in love
he said
love is
like
walking
down
a
primrose
path
the poet
sips his
beer for
2.95 &
doesn’t
know
what
primrose is
but the
poet is
pretentious
so he
nods his
head
as if he
understands
the poet
has clean
clothes
but his
nails
are dirty
as if
he’s been
working
a soil-
less
earth
the poet
wants
to say
something
profound
in defense
of love
he’s a poet
after all
but all
he can
do is
empty
his pint
glass
&
say
I’ve been
in love
before
I’ll probably
die if
I don’t
fall in
love
again
depth
you told me
you were
in love
with the
soft &
broken
idea of it
how you were
in love
with the
distance
just as
you were
in love
with the
promise
you never
told me
you were
less in
love with
the gentle
warmth of
its breath
as it
whispered
so softly
in your ear
not in
love at
all with
the broken
idea of
someone
burying
their
fractured
faith
so
very
deep
in-
side
you.
Bio: David LaBounty's work has appeared in several print and
online journals. His third novel, Affluenza,
was published in the summer of 2009. David
lives in Michigan.