Cats Scratch Surface On Rhythm Night

By skinner_jennifer

Wed, 01 Mar 2017
  • 2259 reads
10 comments
 

Wandering streets littered with

neon signs from another time,

descending steps that have

no place for the average Joe,

 

no bowler hats or ties in this slinky joint,

just ghostly ribbons of smoke inhaled;

enticing customers into another reality,

masquerading behind dark eyes and long hair,

 

brains turned inside out, tuned to philosophy,

exercising their right to a point of view,

no ethics, just a burning desire to converse

with other like minded intellectuals.

 

Bohemians amuse themselves with creative art,

comparable to smearing psychedelic icing on cake,

attentive to a concoction of groovy jazz rhythms

which resonate, they're embraced in beads of sweat,

 

a sax player calms audiences minds,

as they float away on sound waves,

where concerns melt in his adeptness

at tuning into their vivid imaginations,

 

seductive chicks hold firm

to sweet talking poets,

with their tempo punctuating

every sentence on a pause,

 

swinging cats smoke rolled up reefers,

some blowing rings through over indulgent

beards – inhaling pipes with swanky

gestures of; 'hey hip daddy-O.'

 

When first light appears

in the city that wakes,

they'll slip away

weak and drowsy,

 

vanishing into coffee bars for that last cappuccino,

sweetened only by those rosebud lips that promise

honeyed kisses...before shivering down empty streets,

free thinkers done with babbling their bubble fizzled out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Certificate 12
Poem
Poems
Miscellaneous

Comments

Submitted by Ray Schaufeld on

A good poem Jenny, dreamy and atmospheric.

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

There's a lot here to paint the scene, not just of the place but of the hunger and aimlessness of the search for what is wanted. enticing customers into another reality, gave a picture of the escapism and calmness desired and their bubble fizzled out was a poignant ending to their night. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

Very evocative, love 'smearing psychedelic icing on cake'. Paints a colourful picture of what some folks get up to while I'm fast asleep, another world. Agree with Rhiannon about the fizzling out ending, those bubbles can't last into the next day. 

 

Submitted by VeraClark on

Elements of this conjured up imagery of the Cheshire cat in his surreal world, a nostalgic poem full of rainbows.

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi there Elsie,

this was one of those moments where my imagination was taken to another time while listening to jazz music. Glad you enjoyed and thanks for letting me know.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Rhiannnon,

I was kind of thinking along the lines of those old 1950s and 1960s jazz clubs, where all those swinging young people would meet to listen to their own kind of sounds. Coffee bars were very popular in those days, I just imagined the scene in my head of them having that last cappuccino before heading home to sleep off their night.

I think I'd of enjoyed those nights out myself with conversations to stimulate and listening to those poets who read poetry, looking at art that would decorate the walls.

So much to think about and many thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Jane,

there was such an idea of fun with painting back in the early sixties and psychedelic art was so much a part of the decade which gave me the idea for the cake line. I'm glad I was a part of that era even though I was too young to know about the beatniks of those days, I was more in tune with the hippies which came later, but I was always attracted to the Bohemian lifestyle, being creative has always meant so much to me and still is today.

I think a lot of those Cats, as the Beatnik kids liked to be called back in the late 1950s and early 60s, were free spirited and spoke out on what they believed in, putting the world to right and sharing their thoughts must have left them exhausted.

I feel in tune with them and I'm glad you liked where I went with this poem Jane. Many thanks for commenting and grateful for your thoughts.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Vera,

good to hear from you. There are many elements of the Cheshire Cat, mainly because those kids were probably high a lot of the time. I think the Beatniks were the beginning of free speech, where each and everyone of them had something to say, they wanted to change the world, not only with their clothes but also with their ideas on how we should live our lives.

Hippies were high on colours to begin with, but of course later came the drugs which also led to the psychedelic rainbows that you mention in your comment.

Glad you could see the nostalgia here and thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts.

Jenny.

 

 

Submitted by Penny4athought on

Late 1950's early 1960's Greenwich Village in New York comes to mind and all the coffee houses. The Other End ,Cafe Wha, Gaslight, The Bitter End, The Bottom Line. Counterculture,bohemian, intellectually minded, artisitc individuals gathering in dim lit cafe's listening to folk singers, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul and Mary, Bob Dylan, Richie Havens, Joan Baez. Patrons discussing Kerouac, Dylan Thomas and Maya Angelou. Folk music before RocknRoll and Acoustic before Electric.

Very evocative imagery I could feel the night and the times. I loved the smoky, intimate descriptions of your poem...'enticed into another reality...tuned to philosophy...'

Great poem. smiley

Penny4athought

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Wow! Penny, you were spot on with your comment, that's exactly what I was trying to portray. All those wonderful names you mentioned. Would have loved to have been around then.

Me and my partner used to drink in a local pub here in England called the Beehive, it's now a restaurant, but back in the late 80s and through the 90s it was one of the coolest places to meet poets, singers and just to spend a Sunday afternoon there was brilliant. We'd talk about so many different subjects and everyone would have their own opinion which had strangers joining in too, you'd find yourself talking about subjects you didn't even know you knew about. I learnt so much there.

Anyway sorry to ramble on, but I do appreciate your thoughts and thank you so much for sharing them.

Jenny. smiley