This one’s dedicated to you, love hunter

I’ve added a video of me performing this one to the bottom of the page. It was shot on April 24 2016, and it’s my first time reading a poem on stage.

Amsterdam, the ancient New York
in the fall of 2001
Red lights, big city
I don’t remember what I wore
(I may or may not have looked like a whore)

You want coke, heroin, Viagra? the little man hissed
And so did the second
and the third
For the life of me I couldn’t imagine what I’d need Viagra for

For one: I’m a woman
For two: I was in heat

I’d heard rumors though
Viagara could make your lips swell
like Mick Jagger
that rock ‘n’ roll cunt

But my panties were tight as they were
and tights are always tight when you’re six feet two
no need to fill them up even more

Scene one: a bunch of transvestites
taking the obligatory walk on the wild side
checking me out for size
– wrong gender

Scene two: a staggering stag party
hanging their cocks out to piss
vomiting at the same time
wetting their shoes

Scene three: lone riders
wanting to ride a white horse
popping pills, cheap thrills, banana bar bills
– what for?

(I still wish I’d remember what I wore)

Would you believe me if I tell you nothing is more boring than the red light district at night?
But I was in heat
and I didn’t know that
yet
People kept a safe distance
for I steamed
my pores evaporating
juice
juice juice juice

We ignored all the french fries,
burgers,
pizza
(a lover’s gotta eat, right?)
and chose a sex cinema instead

Fucking going on
24/7
like there’s no tomorrow
like yesterday wasn’t born

Behind us a plastic bag rustled
the guy took out some tissues
to blow his cock
I guessed

How hot
Not

The action was up and down
up and down
she moaning (not)
him groaning (not)
the director was a master of suspense (not)
Maybe we witnessed a climax, or ten, or none
Maybe Harry met Sally
and Sally met Sally

We had no reason to stay
We had no reason to go

We never touched I think
I would have remembered
or would I?

Amsterdam, Sin City
in the fall of 2001
Red lights, big city
The most boring thing I’ve ever done

(I think I still have that dress I wore
it would have been of more use on a whore)

Written for #NaPoWriMo day 22. You can find the prompt here: http://jacket2.org/commentary/recipe-writing-new-york-school-poem

I enjoyed writing in this strange form so much that I wrote a completely different one, called First we take Berlin. And when I decided to go on stage for the first time, I picked it as the one I’d read. Because I thought it was the most difficult one, and I didn’t mind a challenge on top of a challenge (performing… argh!). It’s here if you want to see it