“Olongapo City, Philippines”

I borrowed this poem from a fella named Emel Scott. Obviously he’d been there and done that! I hope you enjoy …

 

Ten till late
on Subic Bay
and this bar is shuttering shut.
How many fingers
am I holding up?
Lights out,
pitched back
and stumbling drunk.

Up-tempo horny
and there's a chance
my hand
will have to do the dance.
Out on the street
it smells of piss
and they’re grilling monkey meat.

I hear the last
of the barkeep whores
"Me love you long time sailor"
she say, "No go hotel tonight.
come my home baby,
come my home."

I tap out an Old Gold to smoke.
She buys a sweating bottle of Coke.
We catch a cab; it carves the mud,
through a third world crack
in this garish façade...
Soon deep into the forbidden blight
(where the shore patrol
won't even go),
I’m fearful it might be a trap.
Then everything
just fades to black.
In the amnesia night...
________________
________________

A spongy wetness
draws me out
of nowhere.
Grey pigs
grunt their good morning,
pink snouts
nudging my toes.

There,
on a reed mat
in her scavenged hut.
The low angle of the sun
slices through rusting sheets
of corrugated tin.
Random street life fills
large angular gaps in the walls.

Up through dusty rays
a silhouette comes into focus.
My last ditch lover
smiles at me.
A scar;
the work of
a pimp's knife
or a machete,
starts above one eye
crosses her nose
through a lip
then wraps her jaw.

Nanay appears
grinning a mouthful of rotten teeth.
She holds out translucent cakes
of purple taro root
and duck balut,
cracked so I can see
the fetus curled up inside,
It is an honor.

I feel a stare;
three pair of eyes,
glossy black marbles
pushed into
soft chocolate faces.
Her small children
just inches away.
curious little rags,
tentative
but anxious to see
this novelty.

Last edited by Emel.Scott on June 24th, 2008, 8:29 am, edited 3 times in total.

emel.scott

http://algonquinstable.net/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=2135