Wednesday, August 31, 2011

A Poem for a Philadelphia Friend

A Philadelphia Night

I showed up on your doorstep
loaded down with freedom, wine
and half a pack of cigarettes.
You invited me into your home,
gave me a drink and a listen.
To this day I remember it all:
the kitten kneading the couch,
smoke rising from the ashtray,
the smoothe taste of good gin.
You told me about Portofino,
where truffles prefer to grow,
how to hotwire a car in seconds.
I told you about Social Distortion,
where to catch the big waves,
how to fight dirty when needed.
We stayed up until dawn
betting on when the moon
would disappear over the rooftops.
It was a good night, and the sun
rose early on Philadelphia.
 
(c) Isaac James Baker
August 2011
Washington, DC

For discussion on this poem, visit: http://www.fledglingarts.org/content/philadelphia-night#comment-3659

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