[Adult] On corcoran street northwest

[dcmarti1]

 

He was older
Than his parents when they bought their very first house;
Thirty years after they did, and his place
Cost just twice as much, but was half
The size. He could not get
Flowers to grow.

It was the dirt,
And the shade from Andrew Johnson's infamous tree,
That would not permit impatiens to bloom.
One attempt to grow leeks went well;
Inedible ivy
Flourished, of course.

Although the bars
Were close and even he could have gotten lucky
On a weekday night, it was the weekends
That were allotted to hunt for
What he thought he had just
Recently lost.

His loss, of course,
Was someone that never really belonged to him;
He found this out when a ginger 19
Spoke of another one night trick
Who drank too much and had
Birds and a cat.

"The cat was named
Bear because of a deep meow and too large head.
The parrot was called Rocky. I never
Knew the finches' names." He frightened
Ginger with this knowledge.
They kept screwing.

He was ten years
Older than the long haired ginger who liked to kiss.
He was, in fact, always older than them.
Three were, in fact, just half his age.
He never found what he
Never did have.

City gas lamps
Still burned in the back alley between Q Street and
Corcoran proper, and would cast shadows
On Latins waiting at his gate
For uncomplicated
Sex with Tio.

 

 

[tonyv]

An intriguing exploration of the older/younger paradigm.

 

... He frightened

Ginger with this knowledge ...

I wonder if it should be "Ginger frightened him with this knowledge"?

 

Tony

[dcmarti1]

An intriguing exploration of the older/younger paradigm.

 

... He frightened

Ginger with this knowledge ...

I wonder if it should be "Ginger frightened him with this knowledge"?

 

Tony

 

No, actually the OLDER guy revealed this to the "ginger". The older guy was dating someone but not living with him until November 1991. The info about birds and a cat and drinking too much just let him know that the younger kid, the red headed ginger, slept with him unknowingly -- in October of 1991. Small world.

[tonyv]

It's clear now, Marti. I should have caught that. The way I read it was that the younger guy was speaking candidly about another older guy he had been with. I took it to mean that the younger guy was so comfortable around the speaker that his casual way of describing the other older guy took the speaker aback, perhaps when he saw the likeness or parallel. Thanks for the additional background info.

 

Tony

[dr_con]

really a beautiful piece. Filled to overflowing with the human condition. Worthy of Bukowsky. Absolutely adore this.

 

Juris

[dcmarti1]

really a beautiful piece. Filled to overflowing with the human condition. Worthy of Bukowsky. Absolutely adore this.

 

Juris

Now THAT'S a compliment. Thank you much. I played with syllables (4/12/10/8/6/4) in each stanza and tried NOT to use too high language. Glad you enjoyed.