May 19th
LA MAMA
a building burns
history goes up in smoke
like Alexander’s library
a rebuild will not bring it back
it’s good bye to that
those walls with ears
each brick an eyeline
each floorboard
some remembered crack
penned by a hack
new minted way back then
squeal of dimmer
churn of urn
a log falls
in the chimney of before
layers of paint on the floor
the time we covered it in sand
played in a band
writhed naked to The Doors
rode a chopper to the door
huddled in darkness on the stairs
sang through the banister
balanced on chairs
made love in a double bed
inches away from the fray
first show-business pay
out out brief candle
of remembered play
life’s but a walking shadow
thrown by a random blaze
small building
tiny space
immense consequence
staged its own cremation
utter devastation.
Remembering La Mama 2018
See also poems read out loud at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9uLwxslE_VQ-fu-Dw6gdIA/playlists
Also https://www.amazon.com.au/Day-At-Time-Rhyme/dp/0648083861/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=A+Day+At+A+Time+In+Rhyme+Jane+Clifton&qid=1572053238&sr=8-1