secure your own mask first, and then help others by David LaBounty

the men
who
sit
at
bars
alone

they
take
the
stool
with
their
sideways
hearing

they
order
their
beer
and
look
around
for
a
moment
and
then
look
ahead

the beer arrives

and
they
drink
the
beer
slowly
and
pull
out
their
phone
and
start
scrolling
with
their
thumbs

there
are
always
so
many
people
there

underneath

their
pale
solitary
thumb