We continued playing pool
Until people mounted tables
And started eyeing anything hard as a tool
In those days you said names only after exchanging several nods
Introductions from a pretty lady
Always made a fast friend faster
We never asked first or last: Woody, Chico, Grady
The parking lot retained its dark power
All the light shooting out the back door
No matter what Wes did
The place would always have to look poor
Wood paneling and linoleum floors
Never looked so good
An oasis is an oasis
It's a jukebox with cold beer and coin tables that lean toward being
chewed
There were other places to go
When the sun came up for duty
Two hours after the money's been counted and the doors had been closed
Old men gone home thick and moody
A thousand or so miles between us now
Some perfume spoke bartender to me
On the train platform in a foreign place
Not so much different as gloomy
Never really worrying about being in a bad movie
The barkeep give short answers about neighborhood players
He might have stopped by, who's askin
The resonance losing itself in layers
At first I stopped by every few trips home
Then the gang changed spots
A new place with new faces
New stories, of one I'm not
Like that, I disappeared -
Even the bathroom graffiti and flyers nine coats deep
Maybe a chuckle about my old flea ridden dog, Chocolate City
Maybe not a peep
I think the old gang now frequents Jimbo's
Never been, never will
Unless my luck runs so bad
It's pretty bad, but it'd have to be worse still
But, that painted on perfume
Climbing light poles and catching kites on high
Will steal me from the throes of day
And pitch me into nights gone by
--
10.20.09
Comments