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Open Poetry #29
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In The City Of The Dream Merchants
| Open Poetry #29 |
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In The City Of The Dream Merchants |
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icebox Member Elite
since 2003-05-03
Posts 4383in the shadows 
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Atlantic City, tawdry pearl, gussied, pumped and painted like a slattern who grew old being anybody's girl. Laid out wide like a Parker game, Broadway and Michigan, Park Place and Boardwalk, yeah, no one really lied, that's not just a joke for tourists, but after dark you best run don't walk these boards, those ain't party poppers you hear echoing in bursts from Martin Luther King Boulevard. Atlantic City, stuffed and staggering, now fat with all the new palaces of the dream merchants, carrying the weight from too many tears; courage broken iron worker can't go home to face his fears, feeds his lunch to mostly patient pigeons bunched around his feet the greedy jumping up when he forgets staring blankly out beyond the sea, just one of many lives shed in fast short years, in a place where the future could turn on a card though for most it won't, but then this town's Grail is a plastic cup. Silver beach in moonlight, blood from the last fight washed out by the tide, so the dawn can sparkle on the crackhead mamas with their shaky little tikes, trying for some make believe in late Autumn coats lying early under the cold Atlantic sun, resting on the sand wasted after a long night of trying to hustle a few bucks from tourists out to change their luck so later they can try their hand again, laughing at their kids running among the broken bottles and blood crusted spikes, dancing around someone's sleeping homeless son, prancing to the drifting notes of an ancient love song played with passion on a well tuned violin by a very old man standing on the boards with his case open at his feet, for passers by to throw a coin if they should have one to give; the kids that live might grow old, never understanding why all of life's a game of chance. ©2003 by icebox |
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| © Copyright 2003 icebox - All Rights Reserved | |||
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Duncan Member Ascendant
since 2001-08-07
Posts 5455 |
"Atlantic City, stuffed and staggering, now fat with all the new palaces of the dream merchants, carrying the weight from too many tears; courage broken iron worker can't go home to face his fears, feeds his lunch to mostly patient pigeons bunched around his feet the greedy jumping up when he forgets staring blankly out beyond the sea, just one of many lives shed in fast short years, in a place where the future could turn on a card though for most it won't, but then this town's Grail is a plastic cup." You paint an incredibly vivid picture. Very much enjoyed reading ...  |
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Ratleader
since 2003-01-23
Posts 7026Visiting Earth on a Guest Pass |
I used to like that place, though it was always a little shabby around the edges. Then they built the casinos, and.....well, this poem is the rest of the story, and perfectly told. Vegas is the same way, if you get ten feet off The Strip. ~~(¸¸¸¸ºº> ~~(¸¸¸¸ºº> ~~(¸¸ ¸¸ºº> ~~~(¸¸ER¸¸ºº> |
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jwesley Member Rara Avis
since 2000-04-30
Posts 7563Spring, Texas |
Was there once, back in the 80's and your portrait is vivid and true my friend. Very well written. jwesley |
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passing shadows Member Empyrean
since 1999-08-26
Posts 45577displaced |
yes, it is...all a game of chance |
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garysgirl 
since 2002-09-29
Posts 19237Florida, USA |
I've never been there for real, but you took me there. It was like I was looking in a window at all these occurences. Very good writing, Sir.  Hugs  Ethel |
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Cpat Hair
since 2001-06-05
Posts 11793 |
having been in Vegas last week on business, I can see so much of what you write here in there.. you simply layered into what you write here..a lot more than I did on my return and efforts to capture... good stuff sir.. as alway, a pleasure to read. |
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Cpat Hair
since 2001-06-05
Posts 11793 |
having been in Vegas last week on business, I can see so much of what you write here in there.. you simply layered into what you write here..a lot more than I did on my return and efforts to capture... good stuff sir.. as alway, a pleasure to read. |
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James_A_Fraser Senior Member
since 2003-09-03
Posts 972Out Making Anticlines |
You got too much time on you hands, boy! You need to find yourself a good woman and get out -- less. |
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