Rochelle Ratner (rratner@chelsea.ios.com) is the author of 13 poetry books, most recently Zodiac Arrest (Ridgeway Press 1995), and two novels available from Coffee House. She lives in New York and is editor of The American Book Review.





from LADY PINBALL


poor poor ron
only got one arm
and what with
that crutch
he's leaning on
bet he couldn't
brace himself
to play

but that don't
matter
cause we had
a fight,
at lunch just now
we hardly spoke
so with three blocks
walk to the office
he'd try anything
to get out
gracefully

hardly knows
what he started
giving me a quarter
to try my luck
ten minutes later
I'm begging him
stay with me
I might be afraid
alone here

little do I know
the next time
I try to pull
my little girl act
he'll smile
saying
I saw you
play pinball
I know how
strong you are --
poor poor ron
making me into
a cripple.

MILLS TAVERN


The lady in silver
moves right up
near that mike

keeps her eyes
glued to those musicians
smiling to you see
what you like

Robert's playing
Spencer's just
sharing his seat,
guy at the next table
taps out
a bongo beat

Two old drunks
in the corner
rest their heads
down on the red
plastic table cloths

they carry bottles
wash glasses for beer

sleep here

And at the back
by the phone and by
the door
see that lit up box
I came in here for

Put a quarter in
it slides you right back
twenty-five --
talk to me baby
let me know this world's
alive

I got those pinball blues,
got those Bleecker St.
tired feet
and worn down shoes.
Got those pinball blues.
From LADY PINBALL
(old Gus's monologue)


I've been reading a book
about how to make friends
and it says to think
of the people you know

so I thought about
not seeing you lately

I notice there's a crease
in the back of your shirt --
it looks like the straight jacket
they had me in once
when I wanted to kill someone

After you finish with that ball
come and look at this turtle
my boss found

he eats, lettuce, so we put some
in the box with him

he's twelve years old,
they say some turtles live
to be a hundred

After work I buy
a loaf of bread
then go sit in the park
and feed the pigeons

animals appreciate
what you do for them
not like people

a dog followed me home once,
in two days he learned
to sit and beg

waited outside the bathroom door
whining cause he thought
I'd deserted him

I took him to the park
and a kid asked me for him
so I let her have him

can't take him back to the bowery
or they'd take him away from me

can't go back to the bowery.


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