Good Conversation

Chris Dickson

 

The barman asked me what I would like,

A bottle of Walker and a good conversation

I said. Cleaning a glass he nodded his head

toward a large man drinking alone. 

 

Navy Seal, he said, got home today.

Guy’s been around the world 

taking out the bad guys.

Over one-hundred kills.

 

He said this as if killing another man

was supposed to impress me. And

who are these bad guys anyway? I didn’t

realize there were one-hundred men worth killing.

 

I pointed to another lonely man drinking

and asked, What about him?

He replied simply,

Mailman.

 

I bought the man a drink and asked what 

his favorite mail to deliver was. Dirty magazines, 

he said. That night we drank till

the cardinals began their morning psalms.