This is a "Found Poem". I used words in a book in my poem. The source was DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Las Vegas, from a description of Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay. This was from a prompt (writingfix.com) I put up for responses on coachcreativespace.com
When we go out
dancing
Kari dressed like some exotic fish
Joy a Port Jackson shark
and me more like a sea turtle
we hang outside the exhibit in the July heat
the night crowding in.
Surrounded by predators
disguised as bikers, all different, but the same
species.
The rest of the men, smoking, drinking, talking
checking us out
the deadly monkey fish,
the red tail catfish,
and crowds of Mexicans
swarming like rare golden crocodiles.
Through the tunnels we descend
to the bar and dancehall.
There seem to be 1,200 species
of aquatic life dancing to that bump-bump
music, loud, way too loud.
In this underwater place
there are always sharks, eels
and women like tropical fish fluttering their fins
at anyone swimming by.
Always we end up back at the petting pool,
jello shots, grape and orange
Kari hooking up with a manta ray,
Joy attracting some old crab,
a shark hanging on to me for dear life,
beer on his breath, sweating bullets in a polyester shirt.
July 24, 2007
© 2007 Anne Westlund
Poetry by Anne Westlund
Read 631 times
Written on 2007-07-27 at 08:34
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Summer at the Aquarium
When we go out
dancing
Kari dressed like some exotic fish
Joy a Port Jackson shark
and me more like a sea turtle
we hang outside the exhibit in the July heat
the night crowding in.
Surrounded by predators
disguised as bikers, all different, but the same
species.
The rest of the men, smoking, drinking, talking
checking us out
the deadly monkey fish,
the red tail catfish,
and crowds of Mexicans
swarming like rare golden crocodiles.
Through the tunnels we descend
to the bar and dancehall.
There seem to be 1,200 species
of aquatic life dancing to that bump-bump
music, loud, way too loud.
In this underwater place
there are always sharks, eels
and women like tropical fish fluttering their fins
at anyone swimming by.
Always we end up back at the petting pool,
jello shots, grape and orange
Kari hooking up with a manta ray,
Joy attracting some old crab,
a shark hanging on to me for dear life,
beer on his breath, sweating bullets in a polyester shirt.
July 24, 2007
© 2007 Anne Westlund
Poetry by Anne Westlund
Read 631 times
Written on 2007-07-27 at 08:34
Save as a bookmark (requires login) Write a comment (requires login) Send as email (requires login) Print text
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