Bourbon Burlesque

by John Rocco

I ♥ New Orleans
bumper sticker
on the back wall
near long strippers
mirrored mirrors
BOURBON BURLESQUE
Johnny Guitar at the bar.

There was Vena
(big tits and slightly
cross-eyed sweet face
she was shocked to
see us later in the Abbey).

There was Rachel
(“All of Hitchcock,”
she said. They called
her D.C. Her secret:
secret Deadhead.
She asked me:
“Do you want
to see my ass?”
on the long hard bench).

There was Francie
(raven tresses
beautiful sweaty
slightly pimpled
she said to me,
mid lap-dance:
“I really love acid.”)

There is Golden Joan down on
Decatur
pointing her gold sword at the sky.
She keeps it up for all of us.