Muse Blues, Part 2
You learned who your friends were In times like those You walked through the wreckage With infinite joy You smiled and said Whatever pleases you. You were beautiful and they were vicious Screeching at reflections Until they fell down or fainted. The smoke filled the rooms They learned tricks from you It paid the rent that kept getting higher. They wrote a story but It never included you You were just there to deliver the goods. Fourth Street/Joker You were a sorcerer You strolled backstage In your Cuban heels You were part of the show. It was vicious — The stakes were so low You waited in the wings Your cup full of poison. The stalls filled with snakes The knives came out There was no other way out So, you took it. Song and Dance Girl Referring to his immortal 1965 San Francisco Press Conference in which he said, "I'm a Song and Dance Man". I never thought spermatozoa was phallic But there you go I just thought it was seed. I won’t sing in singsong for any choir I won’t raise my voice any higher I don’t care about the funeral pyre. I am a song and dance girl So, build a scaffold and burn me If it makes you feel prouder. Slightly Nicer It’s time to draw the line Before I fall apart If it weren’t for the music I wouldn’t know much Out on the border The going gets rough Don’t ask me for reasons I might tell you too much. Big Hotel I tried to kill the serpent His eyes were like an owl They were big and blue And they followed you around No matter what I did I couldn’t beat him down. I had to get out quick They were coming for the bill It was gonna be big And when they saw me They said, “Well, well, well.” I had no money and no Cadillac There was no way to leave I couldn’t get back So I stayed in that big hotel Way downtown. Dead or alive I don’t know which I am still here — And they still come around Him and his friends Looking for a pound. The lines are long The hotel isn’t breezy You won’t find a friend There’s no cleaning lady In the Big Easy. I Threw It All Away Early one morning half past four A stranger knocked up on my door He brought two albums from 1974 He was crashing but he was alive I came out to meet him He was bent over my records Then he looked up sideways And saw this sandy-haired girl She was very much alive. He handed me two albums One from Clive on Columbia Four bad boys from Boston The other from The Faces Then we walked down the cliff For the first time since I’d run away I was feeling alive. He dug me right away He said, “Misery enjoys company” I knew just what he meant Then he flashed me a pirate smile We came back up from the beach He was breathless and I was yearning He fell down on my bed When he surfaced my cat was lying on his head. The stranger said, “I’m the devil, baby I’m a space traveler, too” I knew what he said was true I threw it all away I moved to the border where I stayed After seven years I’d seen enough There was no one even left to bluff He left matches and a daughter, and that was enough. Poetry on the Rocks for Lonely Hearts Submissions from Elizabeth Cusack (inspired by Bob Dylan) Many more poems from Elizabeth Cusack (some Inspired by Bob Dylan) Poetry Showcase from Elizabeth Cusack Bio: Elizabeth Cusack is a recovering actress. Ever since playing Rhoda Penmark in “The Bad Seed” as a child, deservedly, she has endeavoured to keep up her end of the bargain. Elizabeth has been blessed with the best of teachers over the years, mostly from the school of hard knocks. She has championed and performed in fringe theatre in America. Elizabeth edits her favourite poet while not otherwise inspired by her muse to write.
Fevers of the Mind 
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