The Men at the Bar

They sit shoulder to shoulder,
facing bottles
because eye contact is intimate.
One lost a job.
One lost a daughter.
One has not slept
since the diagnosis.
They discuss rugby,
engines,
the criminal price of beer.
Grief moves beneath the table,
touching each shoe.
When the oldest man leaves,
three voices say,
Drive safe.
It is not enough.
It is what they have.