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Saturday, August 28, 2021

poem 107

by dog e relaford



billy right and betty wrong
stood on the corner singing their song
a monkey man with snow white skin
threw a nickel in their cup of tin

who led that rounder in?
betty began to begin
but billy stopped her with a glance
like the king of france

the monkey man went away
to monkey another day
an elephant man appeared
wiping away a tear

who will stop the rain?
the elephant man said again
he had said the same thing yesterday
because that was just his way

billy did not intend
that their song would never end
but betty just went with the flow
singing songs of long ago

everybody liked betty so much
she had the common touch
she touched the hearts of the lost and damned
and had rings on all the fingers of her hands

monkey men, elephant men, bankers with hearts of steel
they all thought betty’s songs were real
they listened enraptured
as their hearts she captured

as the sun went down
a hush fell over the town
and a strange thing occurred
only betty’s voice was heard

rising into the night sky
like a slice of apple pie
and they wished it would never end
as old number 9 came around the bend



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