Resting Aging Bones…by Doug Draime
I really was attempting to
pay attention,
the best I could, to focus
on the young poet
reading his poems.
I hadn’t slept well
in several days, my legs
aching from all
the walking
I was doing looking for
some kind of work.
48, let me clue you in,
is no age to be
without income and
nowhere to go
to call your own.
I needed a place to sit down
and rest for awhile.
The poet was trying
to be poetic, his poems
full of run of the mill
similes, that contained
no fortitude
of spirit, or passion.
And I’m sorry to say,
I fell into
a deep sleep.
I don’t know for how long,
but a college coed
stinking of patchouli oil and
sweat, shock me awake.
“You’re snoring. That’s really
rude.” she said.
I looked up and the poet
was glaring
at me.
All 20 eyes of the 10 people
sitting in the
folding chairs
were glaring at me
I said, nodding at the poet,
“Sorry about that. Good luck
with those similes, kid.”
And I got up and walked
out of the bookstore
and down the street
to the nearest bar,
where I ordered
a small pitcher of beer
with $3 of
my last $10.
I found a table in the corner,
sat down
and immediately
fell back to sleep.
Karen, the bartender,
was kind enough to let me
sleep till
closing time.
March 25, 2009 at 6:58 pm
As always, Draime delivers.
Great to see him riding high in the Rusty Truck…living proof that the world needs more Karen, the bartenders…
…& probably less poets too.
March 25, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Doug Draime has been writing and publishing for over 4 decades. Most recent books in print:
“Bones” (Kendra Steiner Editions) and “Los Angeles Terminal” (Covert Press). Forthcoming:
2 larger collected volumes, one from d/e/a/d/b/e/a/t press, “Transmissions From The Underground'”
and “Farrago Soup” (Coatlism Press). As well as chaps, “Knox County” (Kendra Steiner Editions) and
“Boulevards of Oblivion” (Tainted Coffee Press). He lives in the foothills of the Siskiyou mountain range
in Southern Oregon
March 26, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Great poem, but there’s a couple of typos in there that just can’t be intentional:
1) I hadn’t sleep well;
2) I needed to place to sit down.
Fucking awesome poem, though.
March 27, 2009 at 11:36 am
Doug, I’m a huge fan of the stories you relate through your poetry. Your poems always read as though I was sitting right there with you, listening to you tell a group of friends something you remember from your past. Always very real.
Crystal
April 19, 2009 at 11:08 pm
thanx Ross & Crystal, I appreciate the comments