Happy Hour

“Kaladin Falls” by Zeva Rosenbaum

For Marty

When I want to introduce my
oldest childhood friend to someone,
my impulse is to say,
We were the best men in each other’s
first wedding,
but I hold off because I wonder if that’s 
a testament to our decades-long friendship
or revelation of shared
failures,
and when the new barista overflowed the pitcher
with scolding water and blamed it on
technical difficulties,
I ask if that’s deflection using humor or
lack of accountability.

When the degree to which our mistakes reaches
the boiling point and we are finally able to
stick our hands inside the pot we stirred
to sift out the silt and guilt
from the pits of our past,
we are finally ready to savor and appreciate
the refill.

I’ve often heard people say someone did a
360 in their life when they meant a 180,
but coming full circle sounds like
so more of an achievement,
and when my oldest childhood friend helped me
with my tie at the alter,
securing a knot that would ultimately
undo for
both of us,
maybe that wasn’t an oversight in binding
but a lesson in handling
the unraveling.

The coffee shop soundtrack plays
cover songs of 80’s hits,
and I sip my tea listening intently to
each familiar melody
as if the past is the
honeymoon period
and at this time all drinks
are half off for
newlyweds.

About the Author

Daniel Romo is the author of Bum Knees and Grieving Sunsets (FlowerSong Press 2023), Moonlighting as an Avalanche (Tebot Bach 2021), Apologies in Reverse (FutureCycle Press 2019), and other books. He received an MFA from Queens University of Charlotte, and he lives, teaches, and rides his bikes in Long Beach, CA. More at danieljromo.com.

About the Artist

Zeva Rosenbaum is a senior creative writing student at Oregon State University. She has worked in photography and design for over a decade. Zeva lives in Albany, OR with her partner, two dogs, and a cat, all of whom love to distract her whenever possible.