Music
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no joke
by Charles O. McCauley
jesus sat with his lawyer
at the end of the bar smoking cigars discussing options i sat on the matchbox stage torturing an old d string to tune on a battered guitar getting my act together for the afternoon gig the great undead were already late and loud into their beers and whiskey a coupla aging cowgirls twisted and humped their tight jeans to a rockabilly jukebox that twanged into dusty smoke and stale air jesus occasionally glanced my way finally signed the lawyer’s document and sandal-ed his way over to the stage squinted an eye scratched his beard and said lay somethin’ on me there gee-tar man i wanna hear whatcha got unsure i cranked the amp chorded my way through link wray’s “rumble” the d string useless as a broken roach clip with a severe shake of head he gargled let me see that there fiddle, boy if ya wanna kiss the sky ya gotta get on yer knees his long fingers ran the frets bent strings into howling john lee hooker riffs the bar now a cemetery where only the blues lived christ, show me how in the hell you did that i pleaded jesus frowned and said with a wave out the door boy first you gotta get a good lawyer |
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Charles O. McCauley was the frontman for the rockabilly dive bar band, Collateral Damn-age, which featured his original songs. His poetry has been published in The Tule Review, California Quarterly, The Aurorean, Blue Unicorn, and Soundzine. A retired Navy Aviator, he has helped populate Martinez, California.
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Vistas & Byways Review is the semiannual journal of fiction, nonfiction and poetry by members of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at San Francisco State University.
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Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at San Francisco State University (OLLI at SF State) provides communal and material support to the Vistas & Byways volunteer staff.
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