Silver Dollar Salooon

By C.D.Courter
From the book "Tie and other poems"

                       Silver Dollar Saloon



I went into the Silver Dollar Saloon
                                     in Red Mountain

                   ,Mojave  Desert
  desert/town
             raped by man, then age.

I thought I might shoot some pool
 with friends of age (too, drink a bit --
I, left my wallet   in the car
     sho'd i was only
          seventeen

                                   No shade in the desert
                                        save creosote
                                         bush. water
                                      in the lake bed
                                  dreams down
                                             from the sun.

          Juke box     in the corner
spittin' out tunes
          between broken teeth
          string-tie country funk
             "Oh, you slipped away . . .

          Fred
              on point
                      in his city way
            finds a table
                  at center floor
                         and sets on down.
          i strut in
                    shaking nonchalance
               flashing a guilty grin
                 and wink
            toward Old miners at the bar
                         who eye me with disdained view.

          the barmaid caught my
                               railroad smile
          from behind the bar
                             she threw me out
          i
           who never raised a fist in
                                     in fight
          passed the hours
                          sat on step
          counting cars on three-ninety-five.




                                           C. D. Courter        




(c)1979-2003 C. D. Courter
All rights reserved.
No commercial use allowed without written permission from the author.