Tuesday, May 11, 2010

No One Ever Knocks Anymore: A Noir Nocturne

gum on the shoe of a man with a gun
          that and a nose for trouble, head for booze and eye for
the kinda girl who can make a crowded bar sweat
         condensation beading on lips
                       even the glasses can’t look away

in a red dress and heels she walks in
                                        what else. dames. every one acts like
she’s the first case walked in here all
                                        week. can’t remember the last time
head pounds hangover, lip curls to cut.

“Hey Dollface…”

but
      this one’s different
                                        she has a gun
                                                          too

hammer cocked back .38 cyclops wide primed against
anvil of recognition. ACME printed on the side.
        chest caves in memory implosion  
                        Wile E Coyote flat in the wake
Roadrunner in red raises one black brow
over  
               those eyes
                ice blue diamonds glitter

“you have the most beautiful eyes…“
in a sundress and a straw hat she poured cheap wine
seedy celebration for a job well done
wicked smile dances

well, never thought I’d see you
              again with a piece. always had issues with
                           trust me. you wanna put down that
                                          gun swung handle to head.    
                                                                out cold dead
pistol whip imitation mahogany temple desecrated  
                      floored. fade to black. oblivion beckons  
                              welcome back. To a lack, a have not

              seen the plates on the getaway car. feet staggered to
              running down the dingy stairs, two at a time
              tires squeal, ignition catches. sputters

“stop it. you silver tongued….”
a kiss, a glance, frame a moment .
two thieves at the top of their game

engage. pursuit. not again you siren
           wails, screech, dodge the fuzz, speeding
                      to conclusions. she must have come

for the empty band of skin on a white knuckled hand on the wheel
for the fingers, so fragile. love is a femme fatale with a knife in hand
for the memory of better days, the broken knuckles of a brawler, a drunk, a

“A toast. To us. To the best thieves in this damn dirty…”
city lights wash out the stars but all he sees
diamond eyes reflect the streetlights halogen glare
backlit billboards set the scene

thieving witch, this is what I get. never trust a
         fool and his money, funny how cool the breeze  
                   clears the air. breathe in clean

she always did have nerves of steel and  
              curves in the road betray how he feels
                          his way in the darkness, car parked a block  
                  away she ran but tabs kept. bolt hole motel can’t run

gun in hand. gum on shoe. hands of a man who knows he won’t shoot


“here. I want you to have this…”
dive bar at 3AM, heads packed with sand, hearts full
a pull from the bottle, a neon love song
married to the thrill of the chase
 
       just to see her one more time can’t trust my own mind
              can’t turn her in but oh through the  
                      window pane ballet, Venetian blinds broken

she looks at a glint of light in her palm.
tears fall like shell casings the last time
fingers curl, clutch like churls for lust

                     woman in a red dress. legs to here and pain for years
 
“two halves, one heart. two diamonds….

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