1978-07-21

Vancouver, no city of light at 1 am
the country’s poorer … the eskimos and indians
fill the bars

No one’s pretty…desolation on so many faces
prostitutes…everyone is an enemy to them, walk the streets
the glitter facade, the trash behind
I stumbled into a bar where everyone
looked asiatic and bitter
long black stringy hair
dumpy women wearing sunglasses

Did we come here, Kathi and I, to play in this town?
it looks as if everyone with nothing is here
driving junk cars and losing…losing

The fine hotels rise amid the circus-circus bars
and the sidewalk girls

The streets are roamed by men-boys out to find manhood
walking in bravado pairs or shambling alone
into desolation and some more alcohol to get it right
or kill the lack

conquer a shabby woman…fight the barroom brawl
talk with drunken gusto…drink away the truths.

gallagher
21 july 78 – 1st nite in Vancouver


— Copyright 1965-2008 by Dennis Gallagher —

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