I remember a good night
Not too many years ago.

I was alone in that apartment I had
At the time my dad was helping me pay the rent
So I could see my kids every other weekend

But this was a Monday night
So I didn’t have the kids.

I wasn’t really alone
Because the cat was there.
I was scheduled to be off on Tuesday.
It was about five in the afternoon
And I was already on my way to getting drunk

When I got a phone call
And unexpectedly had to do some work stuff.
Since I was off the next day I wasn’t expecting it.

Suddenly I felt really drunk
But I did it –
I typed the order into the computer
And I sent it, as if magic,
From my computer to some other computer
That was going to turn what I typed
Into boxes of cookies and crackers
That would go on a truck
And arrive at a store thirty-six hours later.

Like I said – as if magic.

I sat at the table in the corner
Of the living room,
Hoping I did everything correctly,
The beer coursing through me.
Worrying about it.
Worrying about it and worrying about everything.

I went to the kitchen and got another beer.
I came back and sat down
And the cat jumped up,
Banging her head into my shoulder,
Rubbing her face against me,
Wanting some love and attention.

I gave her head a scritch
And I stopped worrying for a minute
As she purred
And I poured.

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John Tustin’s poetry has appeared in many disparate literary journals in the last dozen years. fritzware.com/johntustinpoetry contains links to his published poetry online.