Ron Paul Salutsky
Last Night in a Cheap Motel Before Heading to the Caribbean
The clothes continue to spin on the ceiling fan,
having been washed with Castile soap in a Ziploc bag.My Girl sounds so good on a Wurlitzer backed by congas.
I might have caught Hepatitis-B at the pharmacytoday while getting an immunization for Hepatitis-B.
I’m leaving this town tomorrowon one of the incessant buses, missing the stop
this time might mean I’m headingfor the South Pole. Has anyone ever dreamed
at the South Pole and if so, did the dream involvea long-legged man juggling clouds on turtleback
or was it more impressionistic, a mosaicof shadows contingent on distance
and aperture? Which way is northfrom the South Pole, which way isn’t,
what’s the area code? What’s the frequency,Dan, where have you gone my blue,
wide sun? It’s a garden of icebergsout the window, and my thoughts of light
behave as wave and particle. My backpack’sdemanding to be stuffed, my trappings
askance on the bed around me.My underwear circling overhead,
my damp, many-pocketed pants smotheringheat from the TV. My survival knife
trembling. My ambitious condomsand personal lubricant donated unused
to the bedside drawer. Two 99-centrain ponchos enjoying their last
night together, swaying slowlyon the clothesline
to the Wurlitzer’s churn.