Bar Stories by Francis Conlon

                        Gone the days so giddy fine,
                        Filled with eccentric bar stories,
                        Before, during, after the wine,
                        Cloudy claim—these fantastic glories.

                        Gratitude now to be alive,
                        So quiet is the missing students’ tally,
                        The drink, the drive—did not survive,
                        ‘Tis still now at the rally.

                        Meetings now are more sedate,
                        Inside the soul, the song is merry,
                        To a harmony, I can relate,
                        Old tunes give pause—I do tarry.

                        Moderation might be like temperance,
                        A middle way to walk about,
                        Keeping the goal a remembrance,
                        Gratitude held—without a pout.

About the Poet:

Francis Conlon is a retired and recovering teacher. For the past 20
years, he has worked as a seasonal river ranger and boat inspector at
Yampa River State Park in northwest Colorado. He has published in the
local Valley Voice and in Westward Quarterly. He currently lives in Salt
Lake City, Utah.