Chase Troxell

Chase Troxell graduated with his B.A. from the University of Findlay where he was also the first managing editor for Slippery Elm. He has poems published in GNU Journal, Mochilla Review, Sheila-Na-Gig Online and four more due in Eunoia Review. He lives in Findlay, OH with his two beautiful daughters, Felicity and Leona.

Cleaning the Bar at the End of the Night

Take the peanuts from the buckets
and throw the peanuts away. Spray
them out and dry and stack them.
Pour cleaner on the counter
and let it soak. That nasty waxy feel
doesn’t go away without a good soak.
Make the counters shine. Treat them
like mirrors until you start to see your face
in them. Then, stop before it is too visible.
It is a frightening thing to see your age lines.
Sweep the floor and mop up the liquids,
but don’t think too much about
what they could be. Remember, this is all
for the tips. Let the animals throw their feces
around and drop coins in your jar,
but if you fail to clean it up, they’ll see
humanity and understand exactly who they are.