Dagosto Poetry (9)

As evening falls in east Tennessee
I wonder what your weather’s like
In the dim dark night now where you dwell
And how you dream, if dream you do,
What vivid visions you might see
Should thunder roll, or lightning strike,
Like passion in a sudden swell
Too wistful to awaken to.

Here beacons pierce the gathering gloom
To ward away the jet airplanes
That seek this site from distant climes.
(As if one were not welcome here!
As if there were not ample room!)
Night falls, but the glow remains
Of sweetened thoughts and sunny times
That heal the heart with hopeful cheer.

Big man from Little Havana's got smoke in his eyes
Looks cute in his sharkskin suit and his four-in-hand
The bay girls, they don't sing the song, they just harmonize
It's all we can do, to make them understand

Me and you
We could copyright the blues
But they'd only be our true confessions
One and all
We go up against the wall
And fall in a tropical depression.

Remember Freddy with the kinky beard, he's a Customs Man now
He's got his work cut out for him in black and white
It's big news at the Port of Miami when they bust some man now
Who's gonna tell them that there ain't no end in sight?

Me and you
We could copyright the blues
But they'd only be our true confessions
One and all
We go up against the wall
And fall in a tropical depression.

***

It'd be so nice to fly
But I can do without it
Temptation's just a pillow
I lay my head upon
But when the bay girls smile so sly,
What can I do about it?
They say, "Hey boy,
That's some attitude you got there,
Can I try it on?"

***

I got tickets for Montreal, we could leave anytime
Bay girls, they don't really sing, no, but they sound alright
Big man from Little Havana, he ain't got a dime
We're in the eye of a tropical depression tonight.

It’s too bad about Harry
We knew it couldn’t last
He drove it way too fast
Gave it too much gas
He called it his own cherry
And rode it like a mule
Until he blew his cool
And played it like a fool
Now everyday we have to face the music
‘Cause every night we hear the same old song
We’re rockin’ in at sundown
And rolling out at dawn
It’s too bad about Harry
But the show must go on.

***

It’s too bad about Harry
But maybe for the best
‘Cause everybody guessed
He couldn’t pass the test
It’s quite a load to carry
It really takes a crew
For all that we’ve been through
We’re gonna miss him, too
But easy come and easy go is the way of things
Those who remain are who belong
He drove it like he stole it
But he’s gone, gone, gone
It’s too bad about Harry
But the show must go on.

Love comes in
On a soft breeze under the moonbeams,
That’s where love comes in
Home together on a peaceful night,
That’s where love comes in
In the final scene of Casablanca,
That’s where love comes in
Listening to sweet Spanish guitar,
That’s where love comes in
Over a crossword in the back of a cab,
That’s where love comes in
Vowing to hold hands forever,
That’s where love comes in
Eating rewarmed spaghettini,
That’s where love comes in
Yawning a sleepy good morning,
That’s where love comes in
Opening a present with an eager wish,
That’s where love comes in
Under a purple satin sheet,
That’s where love comes in.

All these times on all these days
Love comes in surprising ways.

You know something no one knows
You’ve been somewhere no one goes
Heard the music no one hears
Unless they listen with lover’s ears
You’ve seen color shape and form
That no one else could see
You’ve felt chills and you’ve felt warm
You’ve touched every part of me

Is it better? Is it best?
Knowing more than all the rest?
Is sweetness glinting in your eye
Because denial is a lie?
Do you await the confrontation
By someone who suspects
So you can gush your heart’s elation
And quote a name from scripture’s text

Or do you worry? Feel unsure?
Too soon perhaps to feel secure?
If blooming heart were meant for pain
To share it would be no one’s gain
Nothing ventured nothing lost
None to trouble none to blame
If risk’s unworthy of the cost
If thrill and peril are the same

Don’t decide until you feel
That what you know is truly real

For no one knows, no one can guess
At work at home or on CS
Does your secret make you smile?
Will you keep it, for a while?

Looking out from Lookout Point
Beneath a winking moon
The fog came in and the radio played
We whispered words we’d never said
You shifted and scrunched and clutched yourself
Arms wrapped around your valentine sweater
I fished in my pocket for something lost
With an arm round your shoulders
Our plans we laid at Lookout Point
While the crickets chirped their greeting

Backseat romance at Lookout Point
Clumsy, fumbling, urgent need
Too young to know ourselves
Eager to know each other
We pledged forever, we said always
As long as it was right now
All too soon forever came
Before we even knew
Our love we made at Lookout Point
While the crickets chimed their song

Looking back on Lookout Point
So many moons ago
I wonder if you recall that night
Or ever did regret
Now our nest has emptied
The fledglings flown away
But love's still here despite the years
And you haven’t aged a day
I’m still with you on Lookout Point
Where the crickets clamor frenzy

...It was one of those parties with
red silk-lined windows and
blonde people draped all over the
furniture. Someone called my
name. "Sherman," they said. It
wasn't my name, but

I'm used to that by now of
course. It was Wanda. She had
fangs and resembled
a Japanese ceremonial
teapot. "Good God Wanda what
happened to you?" I asked.

She gobbled my drink
and ate my nuts. Later

I was listening to the trains and
smoking a cigarette. This time she
was more honest. "Joe," she whispered
softly. "Oh, Joe." "You're learning," I
said and took another drag.

Full title: The Publisher Is Not Responsible For Lost Or Damaged Poems

***

If the poem seems to be
Unseemly in its being,
Let it stand erect, or stumble,
Club-footed, towards the door.
Directed once, but never more.
If it crawls to find its way
Be it lame or led astray
It will say what it will say.

Let it go, then, or return
Half-writ, with postage fixed.
If its metaphors are mixed
Let it do what it does best:
Send it stamped and self-addressed.
If it labors for its pay
It will not fear the light of day.
It will say what it will say.

Do you know the one they call S'il Vous Plait?
I want to marry one like S'il Vous Plait
Last summer at the movies, S'il Vous Plait
There she was before me
In all her fire and glory
She's the one that they call S'il Vous Plait

I moved a little closer, S'il Vous Plait
She smiled as if she noticed, S'il Vous Plait
I moved right up beside her, S'il Vous Plait
I put my arm around her
I felt like I had found her
She's the one that they call S'il Vous Plait

I'll shout it to the sky from the tallest of the trees
I want a woman, if you please
The lady may be tempting, but I've finally learned her lesson:
Keep your mind on your music if you want to get to heaven
Do you know the one they call S'il Vous Plait?
I want to marry one like S'il Vous Plait

So now the sun has sung a summer day
They say that S'il Vous Plait has gone away
But wherever there's a will, there's a way
She's always within reach
Like Venus on the beach
Do you know the one they call S'il Vous Plait?
I want to marry one like S'il Vous Plait