Tuesday, August 27, 2013

"best of" poem of the day 08.27.13


one for new orleans

there was a bar on decatur street
that we went to

they played good soul music
otis and smoky and james and a little bit of marvin

three black guys
a bass, a guitar, and a drum

the drummer sang

at a nearby table, a woman sat
she wore a gold dress, smoked newports,
and sang along to every song

at the beginning of the second set
she joined the band

they played  midnight train to georgia

it was their signature song
and they played it every night we went in

i wondered why i never tired of the place

on the last night we were in new orleans
i was drunk and had to piss badly

we went into the bar on decatur and the band
did their thing

otis and smoky and james and a little bit of marvin

then the lady in the gold dress
got up to join them
just as i went to hit the can

it was a good piss

on the way out some guy in a backwards hat
grabbed me at the bar
while i was getting two more beers

the music played behind us
midnight train to georgia

you sure like coming in here, he said
and then proceeded to laugh with his friends

when i rejoined my wife
suddenly the band didn’t sound so good

the beer was flat and the cigarettes burned my tongue

the guy that had grabbed me got louder
and he taunted the band as they played

suddenly i knew i was tired of the place

we got up to leave
and the next morning went back north.
                                                                        04.14.06

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