Five Poems 

Eric Swedberg

A Duel

There was a most quiet duel.
A man and woman agreed to the terms,
face to face.
At dawn they walked in separate directions,
appearing calm but wanting to shoot;
(to turn and fire, quick, not leaving).

The duel ended in death for yellow lack of initiative,
with no turn of apology, or appreciation,
or goodbye.

Checking In

I regret to admit I am just checking in my old friend
not here for any length of time or to discuss the work
    we’ve done
merely to express the continuity of our gain
to assure you of the preceding life in which we had our
    visits
for the melodious practice of ringing as I keep you for me
and halt for a brief and sweet remembrance as we embark
    for another destination
boarding with a pause and one last grounded step of old
before the waves of a salted and colorfully seasoned blue
    and green sea.

Comfortable First Beer

Big feel, small town bar,
a pizza joint for home.
First beer empty slow with
the one-a-day cigarettes,
dipped in lipstick and crushed into foil ashtrays.
Music of the cheap greasy speakers
a temporary favorite,
unwinding ever so softly and muffled
into table-top fries and salt on napkins.
Bar lying ties and flannel sleeves absorb
the touchdown condensation from
tipped and picked up glasses,
and ice on the bottom of frozen mugs floats to the top
within the first five minutes of pouring a draught,
like the pouring people,
a simple 5:30 crew of easy nail biters
that dread the sneaky time for leaving.

Hand to Hand

Drawing tones carry them close to the same space.
A lack of sureness compels what ensues:
broken knuckles, broken teeth,
wet, red clothes and ground.

A winner compels beyond bars of blood.

The wrap-around print of a victorious hand
impresses a small shoulder on the walk away.

The Bar

It was as if the customers
had to pay to get in,
or surely, there had to be
a contest for seeing
who was allowed.

II.
She stared at him the whole time.
She felt the same of him.

III.

“At last,” the bartender said to himself,
“Today’s been so slow”
“There’s not a roaming eye at that table.
They went out to see who they’re with.”

I saw this.