The Book Was Drunker

i'd seen the movie
and thought it was alright

my dear friend Brent
told me the book was better

everyone says that
but i believe Brent more than everyone

and he was right
the book was better

and the book
more than the movie
reflected my own alcoholism back to me

now
my drinking wasn't as bad as Ben's
at least
not that week

but everytime O'Brien described
whatever cocktail our protagonist was having
it made my mouth water

the poison
that was destroying the man in the pages
sounded pretty tasty to the man turning them

those nights at the bar
i might as well have made my order by saying
"i'll have what was killing Ben in this chapter"