Originally Posted in June, 2005
The bar is a common place in gay society. A place one knows to go to find other people like themselves for a night out of fun and debauchery.
Every city, large town and a few suburbs has a gay bar. Some are not as obvious as others, but once you find it, it is a piece of paradise for a night. Or, it could be hell for a few moments more than usual.
In my travels, I've wound up at some bar somewhere. I must admit that I had a few wild times in those lovely taverns, especially where men of my subculture are present. An errant circle around the place...a promenade of the fresh meat available for the night. Checking out what's on the walls, human or otherwise. Some just stand and pose; others smile, wave, nod and even say the magic word: "woof."
The observer is keen to watch this mating dance. Others watch as a group of friends simply hoist their drinks and laugh the night away. These are the ones who are comfortable just making plans to hang out with neighbors across town or connect with new gay friends elsewhere.
There are four poems in The Boy From Reseda that take you into this world. "Bar Night" is an obvious selection as it gives you a flavor of any gay bar anywhere in the world. You may know of any of the characters identified in the poem. "Glances For Men" provides a rendezvous point at the DC Eagle, a familiar destination during my time in the Nation's Capitol. The same bar provides the backdrop in "Bitter, Party of One" for the scene of an implosion between two lovers. "Jackhammer's Blues" identifies a specific bar in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood, but the drama is common anywhere.
If you combine the elements of each of these poems, you get the idea of what might typically happen at the bar down the street or across town. Just add some alcohol and drama...maybe a dash of allspice...and let it sit until the bar closes down.
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