Charles Newman
APHRODESIA ALLEY

eerie shadows crawl the walls
virtually all night long
in a vain attempt to escape

like you they long for release
[unless I’m misreading them
or
you little lady]

every night
repeats
every other night
here

women cruise the alley
twilight girls in cheesy bars
exquisite flesh in dark shadows
elusive conversations in rushed hushes
repeated all night long

this tawdry little scene
seduces me
excites me
hypnotizes me sweet thing
take what you will
no heartfelt soul kept
out of practice don juan lasts long out here

silent child of the night
going who knows where
expecting the pale man to come

maybe you know better
regardless:
you can live here I can’t
[too many lost nights
spent among these creeping shadows
too many mornings waking up in someone
else’s withered arms]

you move through it all
so easily so effortlessly so naturally
gliding like a ballerina

[every move growing out of the last
growing into the next]

lucky for you
too bad for me
every night repeats every other night

there is a rule here
[everyone follows it]:
remember nothing
say less

tonight I cannot forget any of this
[so what’s new?]

even as I watch you
slide from one shadow to the next
like this all serves a purpose
you keep me in the corner of your eye
abandoned abbreviated aborted
till you want me need me
ultimately use me

every night repeats every other night
totally without conscience
every night repeats every other night
totally without regret

gratitude is a myth here
scandal is of no importance
worse: I cannot leave
unless I leave with you

tonight I have no hope
even though I keep myself safe
defense is just another long tall tale

every night repeats every other night
totally without guilt
every night repeats every other night

tonight is no different
every night like every other night
until there are no more nights
every kiss like every other kiss

totally heartless

totally seductive
seductively terminal
erotic deceit
late night strut
tonight like every other night