The Lady Known as 'She'

The eve was dim and overcast, a drizzle cooled the air
Warm but for the winter breeze, two lovers blocked the stairs
Then from a window with a curtain moving, no one missed a beat
I ducked into a tavern while the night’s eyes
I left them to their street

Just inside the doorway I adjusted to the light
While the drone of patrons lonely for a fire that won’t ignite
All the stools were God knows filthy, all the butts had left their tell
I slipped behind the bar, my shift was due
Fine anecdotes I sell

Something seemed unusual, a disturbance in the force
Both the waitresses were edgy, I thought, lousy tips of course
But back towards the far end of the room a hovering occurred
Like flies upon a honey jar they swarmed
They spoke, but no one heard

  Scent of a blossom from an oriental folk tale
  Hypnotic in heat, she amused
  Entrancing, alluring, in all her regalia
  But who does she really dream to be
  This memory of a lady known as ‘She’

Some vixen had the weaker stallions stirring up her nest
While their boasts were almost blabbering each louder than the rest
The boys then parted briefly, found I couldn’t help but stare
She turned, the green eyes dancing as they smiled
The unfair auburn hair

The night was almost busy; they had come to drown their pain
While the neon sign outside the glass was dripping wet with rain
Two hookers and a crooked cop were fighting over crack
When Gentle John, our bouncer intervened
They won’t be coming back

Things picked up ‘round midnight, just once she crossed the floor
Most likely to the ladies room, I was busy pouring fuel
To keep the hopeful hungry though they all were played as fools
She came back dancing teasingly about
The floor was in her shoes

You still could smell the cheap cigars, near everyone was gone
They’d taken home their camouflage of whisky, wine and song
And when she asked me if I had a date, I said I wouldn’t pay
She laughed, pushed me her glass, “Top off the rocks,
Two fingers Dubonnet”

Four A.M. was closing time, just two of us were left
I tallied all the IOU’s, the tips, the slips and cash
And when the lights were dimmed, the doors secure,
the night was almost gone
I locked the safe securely, armed alarm
My working day was done

The rain was almost finished as we hurried to the street
Papa Lizon’s Pizzaria was still open for a treat
With my place just a block away, no one would be around
Three flights, and down the hall, inside the door,
Alone without a sound

The next hour was a mystery, memories sooth me still
Reborn as molten lava slowly rolling down a hill
I heard a scream and then a silence fell, not one I could ignore
I’d never been so satisfied, so used
And then she wanted more

We talked until the sun awoke, a shower on downstairs
Both fell asleep exhausted maybe seven hours we shared
And after ham and cheese and coffee it was time for her to leave
I asked her if she’d like to come again,
She simply said, “We’ll see”

Sometimes in a winter’s rain, a flash of auburn hair
But alas, she never did return, nor did she ever care
I wonder who she might be stalking, who can help her mask her pain
Dazzled, tantalizing, all alone
And I never asked her name