Dive Bar

She sips slow on her red wine

Tells herself it’s the final time

“Who’s gonna come save me tonight?”

She lives her life in disarray

All these days just feel the same

“Is it my third or thirteenth bottle today?”

Watching her from across the bar

A tight dress that says “I want to meet someone”

Or a tight dress that says “I am someone”

A face that says she wants to be someone else

Her waitress paints on her smile

Just enough tips to make it home 50 miles

Half her check to fix her tires

All so she can come here and wear out her smile

She has a baby to feed on her own

Not enough walls to make up a home

Paint chipping, water won’t stop dripping

Customers poorly tipping

As she stands there painting her smile

Yelled at by a manager who’s physically there

But whose mind’s consumed by a sister who’s about to check out

The treatment’s stop working and she’s losing her hair

The manager’s ready to burst into tears and head on out

But he can’t let his staff see him break in a business setting

Every little thing triggers and upsets him

It’s a slow evening and nothing’s going right

Praying God will save his sister another night

Takes it out on a waitress who just dropped another bottle

Who wishes she wasn’t there but has no other options

Losing hope in the savings she’s been adding by the pile

Sweeping up the broken glass as she fakes another smile

She swings by the lounge singer who hates his guitar

Six strings that promised he’d make it much further

An audience that barely whispers his name

Full on drunk and drowning out his voice

But it’s a gig that pays rent this month

Enough to get by on cigarettes and lunch

An audience that barely realizes his shame

As he reflects on what became of his last life choice

He sings to a crowd of under ten

One of whom sips her wine

Wondering why she’s back there again

Maybe she’s the one who’ll save him tonight