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Nyc Noir In Black and White

NYC nior in black and white

NYC nior in black and white 

Dark landscapes 1957 NYC 
of automats radio city and hotdog stands 
memories of things past 

Take us back to lucid dreams of light and shadows cast 
set the stage late night dark wet NY detectives on the beat 
slow moving like grit and steel they stride down the great white way 
steam and clouds shoot to the sky from sewer covers 
smoke rings blast out from bill boards of urban midnight cowboys 
from route 66 

On the street hipsters glide down in pinstriped suits 
cool sleek long with straddled  watch chains dragging 
smoking stogies from drooping lips 
wing tipped shoes rested on black boxes at shoe shiners row at 53rd and lex 
wanting fem defal’s  dark diva’s in fish nets  tight red skin dresses with sleek spike  heels long cigarettes  with long brim hats and netted veils as they  walk the line swinging their Purses leaning against posts on the foggy corners 

Dharma bums gaze at city lights dreaming of old bards songs 
through garment push carts and rushing feet 
in the machinery of the steamy night 
the boxcars moving past open doors 

The cities glare in shadows bare 
neon signs striptease flashing in the backdrop of honking horns and traffic 
night clubs casinos and one night stands in greasy motels 
pool hall hustler’s poker players loan sharker's and scheamers   
whisky bars dockyard and widowed screams 
tenement houses windows open curtains drawn 
sweat and muscle tee shirts yelling out to others 
saxophone city of butchers boozers bribers and brown baggers 

Bright yellow checkers and taxis on Times Square 
down the smoke hazed dark lanes against the hard walls 
slim Jim zoot suiter’s lazy dazed side leaning
roll loaded dice with steaming cheap Tricks 

Newspaper stands and barbers shops with marbled checker floors 
white steaming towels with waiting hot lather 
man with straight edge and black leather strap leans over 
with Sinatra playing in the back 

Neon city balanced in chaotic disorder of abstract lines 
of municipal signs 
city where monk lady day and Coltrane play Improve 
in old coffee houses of smoke filled cafes for pennies a day 
as street poets whisper and drink their troubles away 
dreaming of Brando bogie smoking Joe's and blondes 
of slip hips and jive

Copyright © | Year Posted 2016




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Book: Reflection on the Important Things