white lightning by Bradley Mason Hamlin

the
thing of it is
it
should be
as pure as you
can
make it
like
chet baker’s voice
singing
or making
trumpet moan
or
a bowl of chili beans
with the exact
correct
amount of spice
the
thing of it is
you
have
just this one chance
this life
to
make an impression
to say
just the right thing
to
touch her
perfectly
one
more
time.