Desert Games

 

Far beneath the clouds

In The Valley of mountains

Childhood games entertain themselves

Othello played on a sandy board

Jumping checkers left and right

As Pac-Man gobbles power pellets

Each a perfect circumference

Drawn with a Spirograph 

Storyville: A Poem

Documentary inspired ideas

Come to life in wordless dreams

That sat stored for twenty years

Like fine liquor awaiting it’s time

The moment the muse would strike

A spark unparalleled 

To bring the story to life.

Weekend brainstorming

Ideas plastered around the room

Songs pulled from crates

Plot designed in outline form

Aligned to lyrics stored away

Hoping for a wordsmith

To knit dream together.

A year of drafts and edits

Arguing the merits of twists

Turning lyrics into dialogue

And melding narrative to song

Arranging vocals and filling holes

Developing characters believable

With dramatic flair.

Storyville, the setting and inspirational

Character hiding in the backdrop

Waiting for the world to remember

The human element of her streets

The plight of games played

The deeds hidden

And the lives lost.

We tell their story.