Monday, January 4, 2016

Draeger's

Draeger’s

Oh, I know.

But you tire of the constant
yakety schmack, the
doo wah diddy and the hoi polloi.

Today you go where the
cheeses are lined up six deep,
where the cakes wear prom dresses and the
deli slices are as thin as a
politican’s promise.

Never mind that you don’t belong here.
Give your carcass to the poor some other time.
Buy a Chilean fruit that you can’t
afford and feel the currency
smoosh between your teeth.

If you board the elevator and
perform a time-step it will
take you to the miniature
golf course on the roof.

Place a hole-in-one in the
lobby of the Empire State Building and the
still-living Frank Sinatra will
sing a few bars of Summer Wind as he
hands you the most beautiful
lemon meringue pie in the world.

Because at Draeger’s,
we know what you
want before you do.


From Michael J. Vaughn: Collected Poems
Notes: Had a girlfriend who lived across from Draeger's, a luxury grocery store in Menlo Park, CA. Even in the impoverished life of a writer, it's nice to have a chance to experience a little decadence.

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