let's dance

Cherry

By Coolhermit

Sun, 12 Jul 2020
  • 355 reads
2 comments
 

 

take my hand,

I promise we will dance

tangos, boleros, wild fandangos.
 
drink muscatel straight from the bottle.
sing loud outrageous songs
with curtains wide and lights full on
through firefly jacaranda nights.
 
make stabs at the lyrics of Bob Dylan classics,
I’ll crawl out the window acting like a diplomat,
you in your leopard-skin pillbox hat
the spitting image of a Siamese cat.
we’ll have fun freewheeling Highway 61.
 
it’s all right, Ma,
ignore the blood spots on the floor
it’s just my forehead bleedin’
from butt butt buttin’ on heaven’s door.
 
we’ll revive forty-fives.
doo-wop backing Da Doo Ron Ron,
and Dancing in the Street.
 
cuddling up to Coltrane
A Love Supreme
sweet and cool
on sultry summer nights.
 
neighbours will mutter,
“they ought to know better,”
and shutter their ears
against our whooping celebrating
nothing left to lose.
 
I’ll stand at the window
blowing my alto – and you?
 
you, my sweet, can learn the banjo.
 
tuck your red dress in your Janet Reger’s.
turn breathless cartwheels across the floor.
make me seasick. make me yell for
more! more! more! more! more! more!
 
cos we will be dancing wild dervish dances.
leaping, twisting, banshee howling, laughing.
 
oh yes, my darling,
I promise you dancing,
music, singing, and drinking,
laughter and loving and joy
 
I promise you
forever,
us.
Certificate PG
Poem
Love

Comments

Submitted by Mark Say on

Chris Montez, David Bowie, and now this!

 

Submitted by Coolhermit on

This pome forms part of a trilogy - 'Southport Days'  - about my first love  - we lost contact - I found her again - she had a stage 4 cancer and died (part 3 is about her funeral which I could not attend) 'let's dance' is a promise I made to her knowing it could never be kept. 

I often open a performance with it - it is good visually - lots of room for actions  - I once butted a door frame in the 'It's all right , Ma' part - only the once though - since then I bash me 'ead with a book laugh some of my friends know it by heart - I don't as I can never remember my stuff once it's written. 

Thanks again, Rick  smiley