THE BOY

THE BOY
he’d been quivering silently all night
repeating the words softly to himself
deep, deep under his breath
for fear that somebody might hear him
“you’re all a buncha fuckin’ assholes!”
that’s what he would soon shout
at all the miserable patrons of that bar
where he’d been quivering silently
every night
for nearly two and a half years
he expected the worst
that he’d be beaten or flayed
or burned alive by those heathens
tarred and feathered and strung from a tree
nailed to a cross wrapped with barbed wire
he didn’t care
he wanted, just for once in his life
to tell everyone
maybe even just a single person
exactly how he felt
exactly what was on his mind
so he drank a few more beers
waited for that time in the night
when he felt it was right
and he stood up and shouted,
“you know what? You all listen to me!
You’re all a buncha fuckin’ assholes!”
as soon as he’d spoken the words
he looked around in utter fear
like it was the last time in his life
he’d ever be able to look around at anyone
but nobody looked back
nobody even noticed his proclamation
or if they did
they didn’t give a damn
he sat for another hour
at first wondering whether it had been a good idea
then wondering if that thing he’d said
had actually ever been said
finally he stood back up
and began to make his rounds
offering everybody his deepest apologies
telling them he meant nothing by it
that he was just joking around
but still nobody listened
nobody cared
and he came back to his bar stool
hunched over another beer
and mumbled sadly, “we are all alike.”