Hey guys,
This week’s poem is titled, “Cooler Heads Prevail”. It explores a tense encounter and highlights the power of self-control over impulsive reactions. And, sometimes those reactions are alcohol-aided.
Till next time,
Justin
Cooler Heads Prevail
by Justin Gil
‘How brave!’ he shouted, with a proud pucker sitting high on his face. His tongue flapped as he spoke, like Venetian blinds howling in place. ‘And so, what have you done to warr-rrrant such a cou-rrragous life?’ he asked with flamboyant contempt. I looked at him and shrugged. He was an educator of men, a well-respected, real sour son-of-a-bitch. He was ready to save me the years I’d already spent abrading old wounds in dimly lit rooms. Newton’s Law of Cooling was acting on my drink. A few drops trickled from the glass down my fingers, gently stopping on my disfigured knuckles. ‘Nothing, I guess,’ I meekly confirmed. A guy like this, preys on anything. Morphs and bastardizes it in any way he can. And he takes a long time doing it. I licked my knuckles and knocked back the rest of my lowball. I was willing to waste time arguing passionately that everyone has a right to spend their time how they see fit. I was ready to grab him by the collar and yell, ‘I’m not brave! It’s all I know!’ But Newton's Law acted on my drink, then on me, and I was reminded of much bigger things- in that bar where I silently sipped. Where cooler heads prevailed.