Froward.
I found the word highlighted in my Bible.
I remember liking how it rolled off my tongue.
And thinking about tongues,
all the women I loved over the years came to mind.
Red dresses dancing
between shots of rock gut
and sloppy bar bands.
Wayward.
Full of drunken sailor vocabulary,
fingernails like a feral cat.
All twist and spark.
Unruly.
Thunder in a miniskirt;
honey, where’d your panties go?
A grinning succubus.
Fire.
And the soul that flirted
with the night—
and every other bum in the joint.
I lived with them.
Helped out with their kids.
Drank myself through them.
Played strip poker on
nights ripped mad
by cockroaches
and Sinatra.
My way? Fucking A-right.
They were wayward trains
plagued by broken tracks.
And still, I loved them.
Cussing, spitting, rolling
through my nights.
Laughing
and fucking
and crying a lot.
Screaming, you bastard.
And then making up
over a bottle of Thunderbird.
They left traces of a wildfire
on everything they touched.
My heart, my mind,
my cock.
Even when they carried
that cheap cardboard suitcase
out the door,
or stayed long enough to
crack my solace,
I inhaled them
like cheap cigarettes.
Sometimes harsh,
always alive.
And somehow beautiful
in the hunger
they left behind.
Powerfully penned, Thomas. Excellent storytelling my friend. Nicely done as always. Appreciate you.
Damian
Thank you, my friend. I appreciate it.
Brilliant .. sums it up perfectly .. Neville
Thank you Neville. I appreciate you.
This is fantastic poetry writing my friend! Gritty, strong, like a shot of whiskey. Colorful, great story telling, and imagery. Great work.
John
Thank you. Much appreciated.
Waw raw and I can see the imagery in this.
Thank you so much.
Goldenmyst said it accurately. I concur wholeheartedly.
But, thunderbird? My god, man. At the least Seagrams 7 !!! LOL
This is very good writing. A bullseye on a dartboard of a swanky bar life.
Awesome.
lol. Thank you, my friend.
Outstanding and real. Nice work.
Thank you.
I love how you wove it all together into a cohesive story. There’s an underlying homage to the women and their fire and marks left on you that ties this all together so beautifully. I can’t help but think you made a difference in their existence as well. Fire water or no, this one is brilliant
Thank you. I appreciate you.