European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 11, 1947, Darmstadt, Hesse T you were in Europe and you were doing the things youd always wanted to but something was missing something that clawed at your something for which you could blame Only yourself your feet take you to the god Damn this you you know everyone from months of As How they earn their what they their their Why they stay in new rules keep you from drinking at the so you pick a table near the you order a tonight you mix it with last night it was try and make things its your first drink but you know what you will what you will How you will until the Bubble bursts at closing time two hours and Twenty drinks from your eyes Settle on the bar and your mind snaps to your sons birthday which you forgot have to get him something Nice to make up for you then you excuse yourself for forgetting after All you Haven seen him for four and when was her birthday How was it that you used to remember the Date it was the eighteenth of april in seventy that the fifth her birthday has gone have to get her something something very but you said that last week and you Haven t done a you Haven seen her for four years but you an see her see her better than you Ever did before the before that letter with the Legal papers which was her answer to your her answer to your decision to stay in Europe and civil the pianist suddenly plays Hes been playing it for some and suddenly you have become conscious of you gaze at the bar but your minds Eye pictures you Are dancing in a Little tavern around the Corner from the Wabash Moonlight my Blue heaven your first apartment in Chicago when she was working and you were looking for a the time you passed out on the sofa when guests were there and woke up an but comforted by her suddenly your min jumps to the months when she was you were a stay never you Tell not playing just sitting somewhere and looking at your self in the soft Light of a bar wander ing and used to do it when you were a sit on the cellar door in the Back Yard in sound Beach and pretend you were an aviator flying from new York to that was a real trip in those All you had was a stick in your but you were flying a Ford you did the same thing in Chicago bars while she stayed Only then you were a Well known or a or a they closed the bars late and you went Home you had working Drill at the National guard you were a son of a still As a matter of go Home to your single room Here if the army didst close the bar at but you miss you Long to see your but you know Damn Well you go Home nights if you were not play ing just you buy the pianist a drink and ask him for you try to think of Days last year in but you were dreaming dreaming and making excuses for staying in excuses for not going the bar becomes a Young couple asks if they can sit at your you wave a buy them a you find Hes an Engineer with military he has problems building Bridges which were washed out this you listen a while and then suddenly find youre not listening any instead youre youre telling him about the Bridge building you dont know a Damn thing about but Hes perhaps its because your table has the Only free chairs left in the you get sick of tired of listening yourself talk about things you dont things you dont give a Damn so you Stop the Engineer and his girl talk about personal you dont even the lights flutter off and on for a the bar is drink up and go you just get under the wire with a last you gaze at the bar and then your feet take you but you know youll be Back in the same at the same just As it was two hours and Twenty drinks a Story by Arthur Noyes
