It’s 3AM, walking the dogs (yep),
the riverfront hotel plays
Mambo No. 5 on loop into the void
from its terrace speakers –
“A little bit of Rita’s all I need…” What greater
truth could a scalpel of freezing wind
cut from the body, hold up like a gift
or tumor in the cauterized starlight?
The dogs sniff the rushes for rats,
but why not find Moses this time? A basket
with a baby to lead us to the promised land
of dancing Instagram and TikTok memes,
A prophet to part the Red Sea of pixels,
or at least walk the streets ranting
until the bars shut at four, poking
in the trash for empties.
The speakers are crooning Sinatra now –
“I Did it My Way,” but I don’t know
at this hour what way that is or how
the wheel of night might roll me home.
Trust the dogs I guess, follow them
back to our door, bed, you. Congas
and Ol’ Blue Eyes closing like an ocean
over our heads.
For Shay’s Word Garden
qbit 
Perez Prado sneers at the muzak come lately. He and his orchestra storm the hotel in a musical coup. Hot dog! All hail the mambo king!
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All hail the mambo king! Thou shalt hold no graven mambo up before me!
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” A basket
with a baby to lead us to the promised land
of dancing Instagram and TikTok memes,”
Yup, times have changed. I enjoyed this poem, the setting and all of the images, with music as the backdrop!
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Lol, thanks!!
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That second stanza!!! I don’t know which is worse, freezing wind or dancing Instagram and TikTok memes, but I do know your poem is dang good.
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Thank you so much!!
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From a scalpel of freezing wind to Ol’ Blue Eyes Closing like an ocean over our heads, you have some fine imagery flowing here Qbit! I say trust the dogs! Your poems are always like opening a new gift from a new friend; you don’t know what you will be pulling out of the bag and it is aways a wonderful new surprise!
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Thanks!!!
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