First Blues

That summer night Was hot Steaming like a crab Luscious under the shell Televisions gone bleary Blinked In front of men In undershirts drinking beer Wives upstairs took showers Caught A glimpse of their backs In hallway mirrors I sat in the dark Invisible On the backporch Drinking in the night And it tasted good So good Going down And somebody like me Blew night through an alto sax Blew and blew His cooling breath His hot cool breath on me— And I came alive Glowing In the dark Listening like a fool