Heaven Is A Dive Bar In Tucson   

Heaven is a dive bar in Tucson,

just past the Pac’em in Steakhouse on Drachman, once  called Miracle Mile, the street name was changed, a place where nobody knows your name.

Neon odor of a whiskey jukebox, scratching memories of the 70’s 

on warped 45’s, no way to tell what song you choose, there’s no labels for the selections, bar stools with exhausted foam padding, has the ass impression on the seat, of the last person who sat there, there’s the one beer sign, with the light that flickers, resonating a low hum refusing to die, an outdated beer slogan ‘If you’ve got the time we’ve got the beer” advertising a brand the bar doesn’t serve, red vinyl booths in a horseshoe shape, placed around tables with matchbooks under the legs to keep them level, a single bulb hangs from an electric cord, a fake plastic cover made to look like stained glass, above a pool table with a once green felt top, 

now stained from spilled drinks, and burns from cigarettes left too long between shots, pool cues made from crooked trees, no need to chalk up, there’s no tip on the end, the bathroom doors have no locks, the mirrors are broken and no paper towels or blower, one of the two urinals is covered in plastic, with an”Out of Order” sign, that is ignored and gets pissed in anyway, I don’t remember there ever being a toilet seat, but there is a condom machine, the dingy floor made up of twelve by twelve mismatched and different colored tile, where drunks and defeated fighters have fallen,

as well as an occasional glass, I’m sure it  hasn’t been mopped in years, cheeseburgers and grilled cheese the only items on the menu, the bartender usually says they’re out of what you want, but they have the same beer on tap they’ve had for years,

pictures of possibly everyone whose shadow has graced the doorway, are pasted on the walls,

mine is there somewhere, I’ve never checked to see, I was probably drunk at the time, God lives on the premises, in a room near the front door, always with a smile as  your blessing, I’d invite you to come on by for a beer or two, you might get branded with a likeness of God,

but Heaven is closed, I’m sorry to say, it had a good run, maybe I’ll look for a dive bar in hell.