Alan Catlin

Angel of Mercy                         


she was an
after hours
angel of mercy
fresh from
working the grave
yard shift in
Albany Med ER
taking mother's
little helpers
with her morning
OJ in quart
glasses with
grenadine
dispersions,
triple shots
of white tequila,
then straight
mescal 'til
the bartender
asks if she
wants the worm
she says, "What
kind of question
is that? Of course
I do."





Cracker Jackie                        


She looked
like something
that came in
a box with
all the accessories
at a premium
price & the
packaging sd.,
Truck Stop
Barbie,
handle at your
own risk.
She’d spent
time in more
greasy spoon
diners than
an escaped-
from-the-circuit
rodeo clown
& had all
the scars
to prove it.
Riding w/ her
was a real
adventure
like shooting pool
with a dynamite
stick wondering
when it was
going to go off.





Alan Catlin is a retired barman, his unchosen profession. He worked for 25 years in the Washington Tavern in Albany New York, including twelve years as a closing night man and  thirteen as the day guy. A full length book that draws heavily on his work experiences is available from Lummox Press, is called  Last Man Standing.
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