My First Drink: Paris, Sweet Sixteen.

It was a tiny English pub
that you wanted to visit
because the guide book said the Bloody Mary was invented there.
All the waiters were American or Irish
because who cares what the difference is if you’re French?

We poured over the drink list together.
You were experienced in these matters, you knew I’d want something sweet.
I wanted something memorable.
We selected champagne cocktails,
and the barman smirked at us a little.

It was not as sweet as I’d expected.
A row of maraschino cherries on a toothpick
like shiny hearts skewered with a sword
It was dry and bitter
and took a long time to drink.

We smoked one cigarette and then another,
I kept imagining that I was someone else.
When I stood to find the bathroom
I felt dizzy
and realized that I already was.