Greenies

At Tony Jaros’ River Garden in the middle of the afternoon, we slide into a narrow booth to escape into a dream of sweetness. “Two greenies please,” we tell the waitress, and she brings our lime-and-vodka concoctions to nurse us through the state of the world. We talk about the Lowry Avenue bridge which will soon be demolished. They say it’s not safe anymore, another closed crossing. I think it’s another way to you blocked. We are the only ones here except for two old men in the bar drinking Grain Belt and watching hockey on TV. Let me look into your eyes, let us talk about who we know and why we don’t want to be here. The waitress brings us two more greenies to keep our buzz on and count the days until the bridge implodes.
*for Tony Jaros’ River Garden in Minneapolis, MN

Jules Nyquist is the founder of the Poetry Playhouse in Albuqeruque, NM and hosts visiting writers and leads writing classes. She has her MFA from Bennington College, VT and her new book Behind the Volcanoes releases March 2014.