Ron VanHooser Poet Free verse

Engaging the Senses

The tempo of the music
adds energy to the rhythm of the night,
and the pulse of warm blood rushing through sinewy veins.

The mixture of perspiring bodies,
cheap perfume, and tepid whiskey adds a pungent aroma
that permeates even the tattered tablecloths.
 
The scene, obscured by dimness
and a haze that slowly envelops the dusty paper lanterns,
gives the room an eerie ghost-like glow.

Writhing, creeping forms
undulate, moving sensuously
to the repeated thumping of resonating bass strings.

The soulful melody of the saxophone
weaves its way over, around and through the crowd
as it playfully caresses the thick air.

Remote conversations and laughter
mix with bold encouragements from the crowd
as a lone dancer, with little effort, executes her sexy, sultry moves.

A breeze blows, ever so slightly,
as the door opens and more revelers enter the stifling room,
the lanterns swaying in the breeze.

A thin shaft of moonlight slowly creeps across the bare floor
as the aroma, the haze and the music
waft through the opening and into the rhythm of the night.

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Natasha L Scragg July 1, 2026 at 9:11 AM Thank you for entering the contest Ron. This poem is alluring with every sense engaged. Reading this, I feel like I'm there taking in the atmosphere and feeling the vibes. Everything you've mentioned is engaged, the music, the people and even the air. It truly is incredible...The way you've ended the poem, moonlight entering, haze and music leaving. But you end with a feeling of continuity "into the rhythm of the night" ... I feel like I want to follow it! This will captivate many more readers. Added to faves :-D Natasha L Scragg July 1, 2026 at 4:23 PM Yes it felt very real. When reading, I thought it was a place you had been to. But with your background in photography it explains how you achieved such detail in your imagination. This adds to how impressive this poem is, on top of how good it already is. :-D Ron VanHooser July 1, 2026 at 3:32 PM Thank you for your kind words Natasha. Actually the original title of the poem was "The Rhythm of the Night" and it was changed to enter the contest. The goal was to create an environment with words, I pictured a jazz bar back in the thirties or forties, the yellow light of the lamps, people smoking, the music... I used to be professional photographer, and I wanted to bring that kind of detail and realism to this poem. I'm glad you liked it. Ron