THE PARADE NEVER WAITS

Imaginary Garden With Real Toads

In honor of the Blood Moon, I'm sharing a freebie with you from my book: Last Tango In Timbuktu.

Shelter along the cove

palm fronds fretting in the wind

sun beats down

eyes flutter behind darkened lenses

no secrets revealed

Dancing in the courtyard

summer smoke and gin blossoms

arms akimbo for kabuki

no tangos

or wild gang-bangos

for the faint of heart

Along the beach lovers entwine

like snakes that strangle their prey

love me a little

love me a little more

I'm not a lollipop

I'm an all day sucker

We take no prisoners

nor photographs of these encounters

for pride is like a ride

on a lizard's eyelid

the shutter clicks

when you forget to smile

Beyond the fire coyote waits

eyes burning like binary stars

in the morning he will escape

with a piece of your soul

Fair wind and a calypso beat

requiem for the summer's heat

magic spells and voodoo dolls

and dead men smell no tails

Crumpled napkins with lipstick traces

pedal to the metal

heading for open spaces

The parade never waits

Waves pounding the shore

echo the emptiness

phone abandoned in its cradle

like a waif on your doorstep

Staring into your breakfast bowl of Wheat Chex

you are reminded that you are back to square one

standing pat while the river of dreams drifts along in your eyes

Mata Hari

Harry Caray

Howdy Doody

Peewee Herman

Ethel Merman

Punch and Judy

It takes a village

to conduct a really good orgy

Will you stand vigil here

or will you run with the pack

into the black heart of the night?

Already you see the men are restless

and the horses nervous with laughter

The time is ripe

and you are no civilian

in this war

Assemble your brigade

we strike at dawn