Fire in the Prison Library

Fire in the Prison Library 

Wish for us the cigarette smiling gals 
of 1948. Lipstick curled, etched stockings
and a try if you dare sweetheart wink.  

Mainline good whiskey and Count Basie’s riots.  
Percuss linoleum with Ann Miller’s buckled blue.
Frame by scratched flickered flame.  

And it’ll swarm paper throughout this New Year.
The singed pages darting across the nets above,
shadowing the pool table baize ripping to a scab.