Loose And Carefree Poem by David Tallman

Margaritas loaded heavy with Montezuma almost overflowing
in solo cups that clash together like soldiers
rushing trenches, marching closer to the ends
of books and beers and the beginning
of bills piling on top like school boys.

Heads spin like the slow start of a disco ball
and ungloved hands forgotten become numb to the cold.
Gazing upon transparent faces surrounding me, mutual stares meet.
His eyes two marbles loosely placed in his skull,
his knees wobbly, his balance off
trying to avoid painful embrace with an unforgiving wooden floor.

He brushes himself off attempting to wash away the alcohol coursing
steadily through his veins. He spins and plunges
out the front door as we follow him down stairs.
He takes a few infant steps before crashing to the ground.
Rushing to his side like a wounded soldier,
wrapping our arms clumsily around him he uses us as crutches to guide him home.

His feet glide upon an icy sidewalk
as our arms tire from the strain of his weight
sagging on the verge of breaking.
Arms slip and he rushes to meet harsh cement
which has been so foreboding.
Lying crinkled in a ball of agony like crumpled paper
an inaudible moan creeps from his lips
to try and seduce the pain into subsiding.

We gather him up like a spilled case of beer
and quickly head towards his house that shines like a guiding light
which we must follow to dispense our gift
and lay heads down in makeshift beds.
Our passage is denied by a bolt snapped shut on doors
that stop us from returning like heroes from a distant battlefield.
Plying keys from bloodied hands we enter
quickly crumpling on couches littered with stains of parties long before.

I take in the surrounding picture as he lies eyelids closed
with one shoe on and one off.
How lucky we must be with nothing to weigh on our minds
but to find our way safely home at night.
The nights all blending together like freshly made margaritas
and the end swimming uncomfortably near.
For now we are carefree waking up with drunken scribbles
plastering our bodies like one large cast
because we passed out with only one shoe off.