Red’s Leather and Velvet Bar

 Red’s Leather and Velvet Bar

It was the kind of bar,

that makes you happy

to give it all your money.

A classic 1950’s speakeasy

architecture, long seductive bar

with a back lit display

of rare and expensive booze.

The waitresses wore more ink

than tight mini-skirts

and the skirts were tight.

Tight enough to show

they had nothing to hide,

especially the one who climbs

the ladder to the top shelf.

I fell easily under its spell,

and ordered a Communist.

A gin martini with a cherry

and hammer and sickle,

made out of hot sauce,

Background character

 

Background Character

Lost in my morning coffee,

I watch the hipsters

dominate the street.

I feel like I’m just a character

in the background

a nameless face in the crowd

A place filler in a masterpiece.

I’m sitting at a table,

working on my first novel.

The gendarmes are patrolling the streets.

I’m worried that they will chase me away.

Move the vagrant along..

If the artist had given me a chance,

I could have been someone.

Instead I’m just a character

in the background on someones canvas.

America is a Big Box store

Big Box Store

Visit a big box store and see America.
There’s too much skin and too few teeth,
More Ink than a copy machine.
Spandex stretched
beyond its normal limits
Four kids in a shopping cart
at least one diaper is overflowing.
An associate is directing people
to the wrong Aisles out of spite.
People are lined up
for lottery tickets
and buying smokes in bulk.
Tweaking for nicotine
and chasing the lottery dream,
before the social security runs out.
There's an Alzheimer's victim
in the toy section, looking for her dolly.
Her husband is in the beer aisle,
looking for an escape.
A couple assholes are harassing
the gay computer tech
in the electronics section,
while the high school prom queen
shoplifts a pregnancy test.
Out in the parking lot there's a dog
slowly dying from the heat,
in a locked car.
Some guy in a flag-waving pickup truck
is doing laps, Playing Lee Greenwood's
“I'm Proud to be an American, “and muttering
about all the dark-skinned people moving into town.
A couple families have been car camping
for the last three weeks
because they can’t rent a place to live.

This is America in a box
Chris Hoagland 2023

Hidden worlds

 The Hidden worlds

There are hidden worlds waiting to be discovered


Buy a homeless person a cup of coffee,

listen to their story.

Let them know they are not invisible.

Visit their world.


Have a drink with an exotic dancer

Listen to .their story

read the record of her world

on her tattooed skin.


Bring flowers and cookies

(If she is diabetic skip the cookies )

to the old widow down the street.

Let her tell you about the world

she and her husband built.


All around you,

are hidden worlds waiting to be discovered.

looking for the Modern Beats

Modern Day Beats

Looking for the Beats today?

You will find them

sleeping in a car

in the Walmart parking lot

Working for cash

to fill their tank and fix a broken guitar.

You will find them

working two jobs

to support the children after the dad left.

writing poetry on coffee-stained napkins

Looking for the beats today?

You’ll find an autistic shut-in

drawing intricate pictures of Paris

on his bedroom walls

You’ll find an Afghan Vet

in a drug recovery program

trying to come to terms

with the horror, humans can do

writing it down in witness.

Looking for Beats today?

They are all around you.

 

Living the Life

 Living the life

Crying in my sleep
holding it in
like a scream,
anxiety trapped
in tendon and bone
my body aches.
While reaching for
the happy pill,
I vow to learn
how to let it go.

zoot suits vs the Martians

 

It was a hot summer day in Los Angeles, and the zoot suiters were out in full force. They were young, stylish, and full of energy. They loved to dance, listen to music, and have a good time.

But on this day, the zoot suiters were about to face a challenge unlike anything they had ever seen before. A fleet of alien spaceships had appeared over Los Angeles, and they were preparing to attack.

The zoot suiters were scared, but they were also determined to protect their city. They knew that they were outnumbered and outgunned, but they were willing to fight to the death to save Los Angeles.

The aliens attacked with a barrage of lasers and missiles. The zoot suiters were caught off guard, but they quickly recovered and fought back. They used their sharp suits as weapons, and they fought with the courage and determination of lions.

The battle raged for hours, but in the end, the zoot suiters prevailed. They defeated the aliens and saved Los Angeles. The city was safe, and the zoot suiters were heroes.

The zoot suiters were celebrated as heroes, and their victory over the aliens became a legend. They were proof that even the smallest and most unlikely of heroes can make a difference.

The zoot suiters' victory over the aliens had a profound impact on Los Angeles. It showed the city that it was stronger than it thought, and that it could overcome any challenge. The zoot suiters became symbols of hope and resilience, and their story is still told today.

If Odin ran a coffee shop in San Francisco,

 If Odin ran a coffee shop in San Francisco, it would be a place of great power and mystery. The coffee would be strong and flavorful, and the atmosphere would be both welcoming and intimidating. The walls would be lined with books on Norse mythology, and the baristas would be dressed in traditional Viking attire. The coffee shop would be a popular spot for both locals and tourists alike, and it would quickly become a San Francisco institution.

Here are some details about what the coffee shop would be like:

• The coffee shop would be located in a historic building in the heart of San Francisco.
• The shop would be decorated in a Norse style, with wooden beams, stone floors, and furs.
• The coffee would be roasted in-house using beans from around the world.
• The menu would feature a variety of coffee drinks, as well as pastries and light fare.
• The coffee shop would offer free Wi-Fi and comfortable seating.
• The coffee shop would be a popular spot for both locals and tourists alike.

Odin would be a hands-on owner, and he would take pride in the quality of his coffee and the service of his staff. He would be known for his quick wit and his sense of humor, and he would always be willing to chat with customers about Norse mythology or anything else that was on their minds.

The coffee shop would be a place where people could come to relax and unwind, or to learn more about Norse mythology. It would be a place where people could come to connect with their inner Viking.

The laughing Monkey Blues

 The laughing Monkey Blues

Tired of being sad and alone,

I went down to the boardwalk

so I could be sad and alone

around other people.

The crowd was festive

even on a blustery day.

Young couples walked hand in hand,

their futures before them.

Feeling hopeful I took a chance.

The boardwalk Gypsy

took my quarter

and spit out my fortune.

Before I could read it,

I lost it in the ocean breeze.

The organ grinder's monkey

picked it up, read it and laughed.

Its hard to shake off,

the Laughing Monkey blues

C Hoagland 2023

When the Bulls run

 Hemingway feels it from the grave

every time the bulls run through the streets of

Pamplona

again

he sits up

the skeleton rattles

the skull wants a drink

the eyeholes want sunlight

the young bulls are beautiful,

Ernest

and you were

too

no matter

what they say

now.

~ Bukowski

angels and spy cams

 Mechanical eyes

As a child

I’d lay in the grass

looking up at the stars

wondering if they were watching

us.

Now I know they do

Mechanical eyes

Orbiting above

counting our key strokes

and listening to our

phones

a list of sins

 

“...great writers are indecent people they live unfairly saving the best part for paper. good human beings save the world so that bastards like me can keep creating art, become immortal. if you read this after I am dead it means I made it.” -Bukowski

The Public Library is a church

 The Public

Library is a church

In the library

knowledge seekers,

help seekers,

Those seeking company,

those wanting to be alone

Those seeking to find themselves,

those seeking to lose themselves

and those with no place

else to go.

The library is a church

and knowledge is a sacrement.

You may have wanted more and expected less

 After Work

Coming home
in the twilight.
dog at the door,
wife pouring me
a drink, daughter
telling me I’m
number one,
happy with
what I’ve got.