'Ramshangle Vassel" a poem by Ken Lehnig

 

Ramshankle  vassel

reluctant roadie

disheveled and whistling

 a rock and roll carny

 with dark shrine magic

 

Running with the pack

underpinning in shadows

waiting sinless for key words

another major epiphany

 forgiven in the key of Bb

 

All the failures justified

inconsistent and embellished

meaning transcended at 3am

for sweaty repetitive purpose

back always to the wind

 

Sixteen staccato beats drum

to fretful measured dreams forgotten

dancing to lies – romancing strangers

pretty half-clean fat bottom-ed girls

stay-ing a little bit longer

 

Motels – green gel

cold pizza and Jim Beam

in iced Dixie cups

caught up and drawn

into a Krumb cartoon

 

Coming in the shabby ass end of towns

where the dirty stuck people live

those unaware of a b-bender Fender

of being wah wah defeaned

camping  with  silent amps

 

Road rumbling numb

counting train cars and bars

weary of building impermanent

light blinding -  high decibel-ed temples

while waiting for sanity to return

 

 

ken lehnig(c)2012