THE YOUNG NORWEGIAN

THE YOUNG NORWEGIAN
I was working the door
and he came bouncing right up
his eyes blood shot
and breath thick with booze
he was skinny and pimple faced
and he looked very young
like he was barely just a man
when he opened his mouth
he spoke with a high slurred voice
in a strong accent
“hey, mayne. I’m just off the BOAT!”
“I can tell,” I laughed.
“mayne, I want women and RUM!
where’s the women and all the RUM?
I’m just off the BOAT from Norway
and I need RUM!”
“there’s a little rum inside here,
but not too many women.”
“I got the WEED, mayne. You smoke the WEED?”
“keep it down, kid. There are cops around,
and you don’t want to go to jail, right?”
“no, mayne, no! I want to go
where there’s women and RUM! Rum, mayne!”
“yeah, don’t we all.”
“can I go in this bar, mayne?”
“no, kid. You’re too young and too drunk
and you’re too fucked up right now.”
“aw, MAYNE!” he smiled. “that’s it! I’m going off
to find the women and the RUM! I’m just off
the boat, mayne!”
“all right, kid. Take it easy.”