Crusty Lena from the Pizza joint
thought that all sailors were her
heroes.
Not for obvious reasons
Didn't give a rat's patouti
about war games and politics;
didn't think that
their woven blues were hot.
Her desires leaned more to worn,
mussed up messes
A sailor once saved her day,
when she accidentally locked her purse
(and Ramone's tickets)
in her Dodge Omni.
While her girlfriends
swore at her in 15 languages
they they tried to learn at Berlitz,
the wholesome shore leave
picked her locks,
saving her face.
Another bluecoat danced
with her plain and shy friend
in a bar.
Even though he was flammable,
the anchor-tattooed arm
made her perpetually sad
girlfriend smile.
Lena remembered
her aunt telling her
to always treat a sailor
to a drink or a meal
because they were away from home
and lonesome.
So Lena gave the drunk sailors
a ride to their hotel and dropped them
into the hands of an understanding
concierge
As she waited
her last table of the night
the boys in blue politely placed their
order
with the middle-aged woman
who was weathered,
but still had a twinkle in her eye.
“2 pepperoni and one with
everything...
on the house tonight, boys,” she
said.
by Denise Janikowski-Krewal, February 2014
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