The Shag

swimming at three months
parents knowing mouth to mouth
think this a safe bet

six month old baby
his mother a lifeguard
and his father a nurse

so quiet
then everyone starts laughing at this
non musical pool

boy with an old soul
about eight starts singing
“we will we will rock you”

forty five minute pool
sixty minute man billy ward
dominoes

myrtle beach music
where the shag became famous
dance of the forties

totally different meaning
on the other side of the pond
my friend

also a movie
bridget fonda phoebe cates
nine teen eighty nine

Sixty Minute Man

“there’ll be fifteen minutes
of teasing and fifteen
minutes of squeezing”

fruit of the vine color test line

‘

pineapple palm tree
you are sculpted perfectly
juicy pineapple

lasso strength hanging
bananas, yellow apples
from your green lulav

already fashioned
needing only fruit and wine
drunken underneath

always a drum beating
expecting betty white
in the proposal

obliging blackbird
shooed away by man in blue
boomerangs again

mr. mullet
“is not holding his mouth right”
not catching any fish

saying it’s too hot
blaming me for the rough waves
using green test line

younger friend has red
should be the law so you don’t
end up like marie

the only thing
mr. mullet caught the first day
was sun poisoning

interrupting chirping
adorable many
five mini three feet

–
i am a person
of interest in zero crimes
hope you are also

when i was seven
i was in love with
elliott gould’s attorney

in forty years
there will be some funny looking
tattoos men eighty

if you are in a movie
and the phone starts ringing
do not answer

impossible
to follow you if your name is
iamthedevil

i was twenty three
began forgetting words
trying to speak long pause

two high pitched puppies
trying to outdo the other
thinking i won

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