These days,
it’s hard to find a bar that’s just a bar.
All the bars have a theme: sports bars,
foodie bars, live music, DJs,
and they serve sugary drinks, or craft beers
that taste like wood.

In East Hollywood there are still
a few places
where the only sign
is a neon that says: Cocktails.
The windows are bricked up and
the walls are painted black.
Where we can sit in the darkness.
Where we can sit in the silence.
Where we can sit alone, together.
Where we can sit and drink,
no excuses,
no shame,
in peace.

It’s just a bar.