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jagainst
Jay Halsey
United States, Colorado, Boulder

Words: 195
Access: Public
Comments: 16

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Blue Corner Old Man

Lighters flick
and ice cooler chills,
as the jukebox tunes
die with a slow slow thirst
to cleanse these souls,
your soul old man,
with that grime, rot rock'¦
'¦n' roll.

Seems there's no more quarters
to feed the machine.
No more money to waste
on tunes that never really satisfy.
Just enough green
for another beer here
to make the world tilt sideways,
as you walk straight into
an unreality dried from tears
and assembly lines
of mass produced fears.

Never much blue
in the skies of your days.
Sun unshines blindly, extinguished
with counterfeit promises of
holiday bonuses never seen'¦
Same as union contractors, huh?

Blue collar strife
giving you the shakes.
Getting paid minimum rage.
Unfair for twenty plus years of
ball busting labor, minus lunch breaks,
missing a life, your child, and your wife.

Never enough cash
to afford the luxuries.
Just enough for gas
to work, to bar'¦
'¦back home most nights.
And way too much nicotine smoked

up in this bar and
in that corner,
as I sit and drink,
same as you,
myself reflected in this quarter.
This song's on me.
This song's for you.

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Comments  
tcbswan Comment by: tcbswan - 2006-06-02 01:37
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Jay,
you are so good at telling a story with your poetry and creating believable characters. I always feel as if I'm evesdropping (srry boutsp) on a moment in someones life. What's great about this poem the gritty reality of a hard life filled with backbreaking work and the occasion to experience in spite of all a moment of pleasure (listening to a song on a jukebox while drinking a beer). A suggestion, the third stanza didn't flow as well as the rest when I read it--here's my two cents--
Never much blue
in the skies of your days.
Sun unshines blindly, extinguished
with counterfeit promises
of holiday bonuses
never seenā?¦

Same as union contractors, huh? (this line stuck out for me)

Other than this I would't change anything. Wonderful read.
t.
oddfruit Comment by: oddfruit - 2006-05-28 05:08
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Getting paid minimum rage.
Unfair for twenty plus years of
ball busting labor, minus lunch breaks,
missing a life, your child, and your wife.
The dreary toil of working life, yet another excellent write Jay
Comment by: - 2006-05-24 19:12
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ah...so relatable. very clever, well-worded write. love this.
nesca Comment by: nesca - 2006-05-23 02:21
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aaaahhh, yes, very familiar territory jay, the working stiff's dilemma, the booze-hungry loner's wanting, love this one man, great work...

tony
Manda Comment by: Manda - 2006-05-22 17:35
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very simple, very human, this poem is down to earth and doesn't rely too much on overly poetic jargon to make its point. having it directed at a particular person really gives it this feeling and here's just the line of all lines, that any of us who have ever worked a crappy job can truly relate too:
'Getting paid minimum rage.'
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