in our house on campus
Mark was the sophisticated college guy
with a posh English accent
living in a tiny room all by itself
at the foot of the stairs
he was immaculately groomed
wore an Ascot
smoked a pipe
and read Greek and German
my roommate and I were
freshmen
he a hick from upstate New York
I a sophisticate from
the north Ontario bush
we had gone to Mark
to ask what he thought
we should buy to drink
on our first university dates
There’s nothing like a bottle of Madeira
he said
would you
buy it for us
since we’re not twenty-one
we said
volunteering to pay for it
he said
There’s nothing like a bottle of Madeira
and agreed
we were so excited
heading out with
our bottle and
our girls
I don’t remember the date
I sort of remember the girl
and the bottle
but I do remember how
two guys had to
help me up the stairs
to my room well after curfew
and how I wanted
to go up horizontally
and I remember how
hung-over we both were
the next morning
I think I agree
There’s nothing like a bottle of Madeira
