Sunday, April 19, 2020

One Night at a Time


His feet are planted in the blues.
With a whole lot of life in his face,
and scars on his guitar strings
he pours truth into beer bottles
back lighting bar dreams.

You can take a song from the street,
but you can’t take the street out of the music
when notes traffic every alley of pain
through a voice scuffed by tread marks.

In the dim light of bodies chasing escape
he sings solo to a choir too whisky throated
to trust the chorus.

He’s been where they are…He’s left where they’re going.

©Susie Clevenger 2020


7 comments:

  1. Love your nod to the music! Knowing him would have been a total trip.

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  2. This is like a blues song in itself Susie! I love every line but especially "he pours truth into beer bottles back lighting bar dreams" Sigh...simply straight from a dreamers heart!

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  3. You've really touched the Blues in this - and I love the last line.

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  4. Last line is killer--I also like ".. scars on his guitar strings.." Great response to the pic, Susie.

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  5. He's left, alright! Well done and musical. Love "notes traffic every alley of pain."

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  6. I like this, Susie. I don't know any bartenders except those I see on TV. Your write is sort of how I imagine they might be. Too I love "The Piano Player" song. One of my friends we moved away from to Katy, her son is a bartender in NYC, he does this will waiting for acting gigs. I suppose he is doing neither now, he might have come here for free room and board. I have no idea what he is like at the bar.
    Sorry to be so late.
    ..

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  7. Yep, that's howit usually ends up for pop gurus and their fans, I think.

    Happy Susie Clevenger Day! ;-)

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