deepundergroundpoetry.com
tough guy blues
I have said I am made of dreams
technicolor dreams in my black & white perfidia
tough guys don’t cry, not so’s you’d notice.
like Bogart in ‘Casablanca,’ drinking straight
whiskey, remembering Paris. remembering
Ilsa, who walked hard on his heart.
when the song said ‘ a kiss is just a kiss’
I knew that sometimes even poetry lies.
and love?
love carries a dirty reputation
when the fog is closing in along with the Huns
and your woman is on the next flight out
with another man.
on my lonesome highway, I’ve learned there are two
kinds of females, the good & the wicked, angels &
devil-women. an angel will charm a man into falling
in love quick; he’ll give her his heart ‘cause that’s what
it’s made for. but an angel has wings for a purpose, &
when the river of sorrowing gets too deep, she will fly.
(I take long walks in the rain. my eyes get moist.
my cheeks get damp. but tough guys never cry.
so I accuse the rain…)
I’ve spent a fair amount of time with whores; they’ve
talked nice to me, touched me, maybe in that place
where I used to have a heart. & mostly, the sex was good.
but even tough guys know sex don’t replace love.
most nights, I linger on my bar stool, tie loose, fedora tilted
back, considering time as it slips away, & angels long gone.
waiting for the next devil-woman to come along…
Published 15th Jun 2015
All writing remains the property of the author. Don't use it for any purpose without their permission.
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15th Jun 2015 6:12pm
15th Jun 2015 6:12pm
Sounds like you have a heart after all John. I never did think you were too tough for tears. Who is? Women as either good or wicked... Some can be a little of both, all kinds of fun.
15th Jun 2015 6:17pm
Of all the gin joints in all the world she walks into mine. The toughest guys have the deepest hearts hidden like Bukowski's bluebird from the world. But at night, when they're alone, they let it out to sing.
Good words.
Good words.
15th Jun 2015 9:40pm
"I knew that sometimes even poetry lies."
~resounding tingles frm this line..perfect!
"an angel has wings for a purpose, &
when the river of sorrowing gets too deep, she will fly."
~a most beautiful somber concept.
Love your romantic-sided wicked tale today!
~d
~resounding tingles frm this line..perfect!
"an angel has wings for a purpose, &
when the river of sorrowing gets too deep, she will fly."
~a most beautiful somber concept.
Love your romantic-sided wicked tale today!
~d
Anonymous
15th Jun 2015 8:09pm
to paraphrase john green, if love is a lie, it's the most beautiful lie we have....
"an angel has wings for a purpose, &
when the river of sorrowing gets too deep, she will fly"
^^^^^
i need to get that tattooed on my back as reading material tbh
... another magnificent piece by you, mister feddeler. loved!
"an angel has wings for a purpose, &
when the river of sorrowing gets too deep, she will fly"
^^^^^
i need to get that tattooed on my back as reading material tbh
... another magnificent piece by you, mister feddeler. loved!
15th Jun 2015 8:25pm
Gee Johnny, lets go have a drink together and let loose and just go crazy!!!
I loved this as I love all your ink even when the ink is sad...
Loves you
Jackie xoxoxoxo
I loved this as I love all your ink even when the ink is sad...
Loves you
Jackie xoxoxoxo
15th Jun 2015 8:51pm
I take long walks in the rain. my eyes get moist.
my cheeks get damp. but tough guys never cry.
so I accuse the rain…
Riveting as ever. Great Ink!
my cheeks get damp. but tough guys never cry.
so I accuse the rain…
Riveting as ever. Great Ink!
15th Jun 2015 9:42pm
You need a fedora when it rains a lot. Also helps keep you in the shadows.
Anonymous
- Edited 25th Sep 2020 3:45am
15th Jun 2015 11:39pm
<< post removed >>
16th Jun 2015 2:04am
The devil women have hearts to, JohnFeddeler. Just hidden and harder to obtain.
16th Jun 2015 6:21am
Ahhh, JohnFeddeler, luv ~ :-*
Would that we humans were so easy to categorize! And, women, well... ;-D Angels and devil-women, eh? Heh. Each woman is comprised of so many facets and a myriad of depths... :-*
How does one determine such a thing, luv? There are angels hidden in the unlikeliest of places, same goes for devils. Most people have a bit of both, ne c'est pas? In fact, without a bit of both, well, frankly, luv, I doubt you'd be interested long... ;-*
Would that we humans were so easy to categorize! And, women, well... ;-D Angels and devil-women, eh? Heh. Each woman is comprised of so many facets and a myriad of depths... :-*
How does one determine such a thing, luv? There are angels hidden in the unlikeliest of places, same goes for devils. Most people have a bit of both, ne c'est pas? In fact, without a bit of both, well, frankly, luv, I doubt you'd be interested long... ;-*
16th Jun 2015 7:45am
john, John, JOHN! I heard Bogie narrating as I, Sam tinkling the 88s in the background . . . breathtaking written art!
Spectacular, bravo (audience standing, applauding, whistling and cat calling)!
Green
Spectacular, bravo (audience standing, applauding, whistling and cat calling)!
Green
Anonymous
16th Jun 2015 11:12pm
If being your "Devil" is what it takes, I will try my best not to bleed your heart but instead keep your heart beating 'til death does us apart. . .Lovely, JFeddeler. . .xoxo, Devlin:)
17th Jun 2015 1:49am
You've spent much time among the seedy folks, the whores & thieves & rapscallions, it's so eloquently prevalent in your works, always like fine noir. No one conjures up these gritty images quite like you, John. That title really caught my eye & as soon as I saw it, 'tough guy blues', I knew that I was going to put it on my list.
Was anyone in Hollywood history better than Bogie? Do you know how many times I've watched Treasure of the Sierra Madre? (always my preferred Bogie film, even though most remember Casablanca....NO ONE does 'paranoid, greedy nutjob' better than Bogie, NO ONE!) We don't have actors like him around anymore.
I often have this mental image of you walking in the rain, hat & trench coat wrappt, smoking a cigarette that is somehow still dry, in spite of the heavy rain, some brokenhearted whore weeping in the distance behind you. This poem did nothing to quell that image :) & nor would I want to see your poetic self any different.
Magnifique, as ever my good man....
Was anyone in Hollywood history better than Bogie? Do you know how many times I've watched Treasure of the Sierra Madre? (always my preferred Bogie film, even though most remember Casablanca....NO ONE does 'paranoid, greedy nutjob' better than Bogie, NO ONE!) We don't have actors like him around anymore.
I often have this mental image of you walking in the rain, hat & trench coat wrappt, smoking a cigarette that is somehow still dry, in spite of the heavy rain, some brokenhearted whore weeping in the distance behind you. This poem did nothing to quell that image :) & nor would I want to see your poetic self any different.
Magnifique, as ever my good man....
17th Jun 2015 4:10am
Wow... this is smooth. Felt like I was watching it unfold slowly, like a narrative intro to a classic movie. Think I'll join you at that bar for a shot of some whiskey.
18th Jun 2015 1:37am
18th Jun 2015 1:27pm
"an angel will charm a man into falling
in love quick; he’ll give her his heart ‘cause that’s what
it’s made for. but an angel has wings for a purpose, &
when the river of sorrowing gets too deep, she will fly."
They never soar so far away that they can't find you in those dark shadows, the devil women and whores will have to step aside each time, it is the order of the wild. Love your lines- blue angel
in love quick; he’ll give her his heart ‘cause that’s what
it’s made for. but an angel has wings for a purpose, &
when the river of sorrowing gets too deep, she will fly."
They never soar so far away that they can't find you in those dark shadows, the devil women and whores will have to step aside each time, it is the order of the wild. Love your lines- blue angel
