Power of the Past

[couchgrouch]

The Power of the PastBought a dollar burro, from the Taco Shackstrolled the abandoned boardwalk, bygones sprouting through the cracksBlind Joe once sold pencils, by the Seaside Arcadebarely fed his poor dog, with the pennies he madebut no one's come down here, since that hurricaneghosts ride rollercoasters, yesterday reads tattered postersfor has-beens with misspelled namesthough I still saw the faces, of magicians n mimestheir slight of hand sir, is slow compared to time'sthat's the power of the pastto keep alive what doesn't lastdays creep along but years go fastand when they vanish in the airyet somehow they're still therethat's the power of the pastsaw an old German Shepherd, scrounging on the beachwith freedom for a master, hunger was his leashI pictured Wendy Simpson, and that endless, salty kissa pint of suntan lotion, the soft music of the oceanmorning sun becoming evening mistI still don't know how, she slipped through my handsor how mem'ries build mansions, from castles made of sandthat's the power of the pastto keep alive what doesn't lastdays creep along but years go fastand when they vanish in the airyet somehow they're still therethat's the power of the pastI could hear the barker, outside the haunted househe sounded louder cos it's, my heart that's haunted nowand my burro got me thinkin', of Pedro's sidewalk carthe sold tacos so spicey, they left your fingers scarredI thought once more of Blind Joe, if he survived the wind n rainwas he begging in gutters, then the rap of old shudderssounded like the tap of his caneso I went down to the beach sir, fed my burro to that dogtook him home with me, away from that dead boardwalkthat's the power of the pastto keep alive what doesn't lastdays creep along but years go fastand when they vanish in the airyet somehow they're still therethat's the power of the past(c)2005 Robert George