Tom's Alley

[Tinker]

Tom's Alley

He crouches on a rusty garbage lid,
witness
to the alley’s transgressions
the shadows,
the debris,
the stink
of stale booze and urine.

The tinkle-clank of a glass
bottle rolls across the alley-way
while he stalks
a long tailed rat
darting from the basement
of an adjacent building.

Later he grooms himself
licking his feral fur
and rubbing his scared face
with his paws,
wary of approaching angry voices.

An escalation of shouts and screams
startles him from his perch
and he ducks
beneath discarded boxes.

A grizzled man throws a skinny girl
against a wall and stabs her twice.
Blood spatters Tom's hide-away.

With a yeowl,
he skitters from his sanctuary

into the silence of the night.
         ~~Judi Van Gorder

Inspired by The Fly

[tonyv]

I was about to suggest that the poet win the feline's trust with some food and take him home (after a trip to the groomer of course), and then I got to the surprise twist! An unexpected and welcome surprise.

Tony ?

[Tinker]

Out of my comfort zone and I wasn't sure how this would be perceived by the reader.   It wasn't entirely what I set out to do but it seemed to just develop on its own.  The diminishing lines of the stanzas restricted yet pushed the experience forward.   The "twist" was the unknown, do I include it, should I change to a drug deal going down, or thugs robbing someone, all scenarios that went through my brain.  But I only had 3 lines by my own design.  Thanks for recognizing it.

~~Tink

[Aleksandra]

Wow, Tink... An amazing one. I miss words to express myself after reading this. Wow, guys, reading you after a long break, it makes me feel very ignorant lol. You are great, very progressive and different. Thank you

[Tinker]

Aleks,  So nice to hear from you.  You made my morning happy.  I hope your break from us was full of adventure, laughter and love.  Now don't go away again, share your stories I can't wait to read.

~~Tink