A Muse At The Bar

Sitting at the bar, just me and the bartender. She's a pretty girl, petite and sullen. Not much to say. Radio on, television with the sound off.

"Any way to get some volume on the TV?" I ask.

"Nah, I'll probably get yelled at. They only like the TV on for sports," she answers.

And that's that.

I have nothing else to do but sit here and drink and do the crossword in the newspaper.

3:00 in the afternoon.

I have all the time in the world and I have nothing to say to this pretty girl, who seems even more depressed than me.

But it's okay. This is all I want right now, just to sit here and have a beer or three and some chowder. That's all I want.

So we both watch the television with the sound off, nothing to say to each other.

Alone together in the bar.

Always.