(or what has passed for it at one time or another).
I have annotated these only where
comments may be helpful or necessary.
The Mystic, the Madam and the Dominatrix;
Uninhibited, frank outspoken critics;
Two singed my beard with blazing words;
I gave my arm to the gentler third
Who untangled my bangles, the metal mess
Reflecting my own state of duress.
The she-bouncer and the freelance writer.
One a dissident, the other a fighter.
Just a narrow road, yet worlds apart.
The big girl all breasts and arms, all heart
(I shared the same name as her brother
So none dared cause me any bother).
The jazz blast shouldering the shower
Aside, a defiant call on the wee hours,
Pulled me out of the rain and into the bar
I nodded hello to the lead guitar.
The writer purred in cultured tones
Ruby lips and high cheekbones
I leered and struggled to converse
As my diction slurred from bad to worse.
One last beer for the road
The sign on the door now reversed to �CLOSED�
Past the guards playing soccer in the empty street
The unsteady tempo of my feet
Marked the time it took to find
My way, the Last Drunk Valentine.