By J.J. Tindall
Some Other Guy
Him, luxuriating
in her inspired lewdness.
Her, chuckling
at my timidity and tenderness.
Sweet, shy, cute
v.
Hot, tough, aloof
The burden of reverence
v.
The challenge of contempt
Innocence
v.
Experience
I can soothe her,
but he can feed her.
I can amuse her,
but he can move her.
Shuffling, stumbling, eviscerated,
rife with the devastation
that never walks safely
down North Ave. in Austin.
Used clothes, eye bags, cig breath
v.
Armani, Mont Blanc, Rolex
As I shuffle to the bus stop,
his car becomes a Lear Jet.
As I stumble to my SRO,
his condo becomes Xanadu.
To sleep, per chance NOT to dream (please!).
Eye mask, mouth guard, gloves
and the beers without which Morpheus
never arrives but with which
I awaken without fail (not failing?!)
in the razor’d dark
to the consummate torture
of my own imagination.
Send in the evil clowns.
Poet
v.
Doctor
(Williams!)
Jaybird
v.
Prairie Falcon
And the cumulative strain
of “again.”
Again…AND again…AND again: she chooses.
Again…AND again…AND again: I lose.
And I live on.
–
J.J. Tindall is the Beachwood’s poet-in-residence. He welcomes your comments. Chicagoetry is an exclusive Beachwood collection-in-progress.
–
More Tindall:
* Chicagoetry: The Book
* Ready To Rock: The Music
* Kindled Tindall: The Novel
Posted on November 9, 2010