it was a dream

had to be

i walked into the nearly pitch black bar with a terrible thirst

smoke filled the air

that song i really like by sturgill played on the jukebox

“they call me king turd up here on shit mountain, if you want it you can have the crown”

i was singing along

top of my voice

and the crowd turned and yelled at me

spanky

i haven’t been him in a long time

there was a group of us

i got us all zippos

engraved

he-man women haters club

like little rascals

i was spanky

and i looked at the bar in surprise

the ghosts of the past raising glasses and telling jokes

staring at me while i stared at them

a shot of whiskey

a pint of guiness

calling my name

and i sat on the stool that felt might familiar

and i sipped that shot of whiskey and sang along to sturgill

“i been spending my nights on the internet, looking for a clue but ain’t found one yet, just a bunch of mopars, guitars and other stuff i can’t buy”

was it on a loop

does it matter

with a warm feeling in my guts

and the knowledge i need to be asleep not tying one on

i just kept drinking

and that’s when he sat down next to me

and i didn’t even look

just raised my hand to the bartender and a a schooner was set in front of him

i like this song

i knew you would

think i like it because of that very fact

how are you doing

you know as well as i do

shit

about sums it up

yeah

miss you dad

wish we could be doing this for real

we are

no

we aren’t

“well now lord if you can hear me, won’t you throw a damn dog a bone, cause if the devil shows up with a better deal this old soul is going down”

he really has that old school feel

he does

but you would have never said that

no

don’t think i would have

so this is a dream

guess it is

i miss you

i know

the kids are getting big

you would have loved them

i do

you died a year before maia was born

oh yeah

and you quit drinking before she was born

i did

didn’t raise you to be a quitter

no you did not

so what do you need from me

why’d you call

wasn’t aware i did

i heard you

loud and clear

maybe i just needed this

maybe you did

sing it mike

“well i sing it real pretty, sing it real sad, and all the people in the crowd say he ain’t half bad”

i’m proud of you son

never told you before

never gave you a reason too

sure you did

i just never knew how

just drink your beer dad

i love you

love you too

cow

there he is

another round spanky

keep em coming