almost

Neon lights leaked through the paned windows,

Cutting through the thick smoke that filled the room.

A young man,

Too young to be in such a place so late in the evening,

Walked in carrying with him a gust of melancholic air.

In search of any remedy to cure a deep sickness of the heart.

Perhaps a gin and tonic

Or some jazz noir

Might release him from the confines of his pains.

Sitting at the bar counter

He uttered only a few words.

But it was his eyes that spilled the truth.

The pain of a love destined to be nothing more

Than an almost.