Ode to 1958

Ode to 1958


A disillusioned teacher juggles egos
at the Palm Beach County Fair,
1958.

He flips torches,
eats fire,
then burns all the important papers
at the county court house.

The Lobster Man
and the Lobster Man's daughter
dine at a seafood restaurant
somewhere off Military Trail.

My brother,
youngest polo player in the history
of Palm Beach County,
scores the winning goal,
achieves stardom
at the impressionable age of 16.

Then, poetry, ah, the roughest teacher
of them all
stops by to share a cigarette.

Undoes the silk buttons
to her silk blouse,
leans close to breathe elusive wisdom
into his ear.

Poetry, with the eight marble legs
of a Greek goddess,
knows intuitively just how elusive
wisdom can be,
without her web of mythology
nearby to catch it.


Alan Britt

Posted over on 13th Warrior Review