*jesse At The Riverside Club Poem by Lillian Susan Thomas

Balanced on his stool,
Guitar cradled lankly
Between arms and knee,
He strokes the strings with eyes closed
And rocks himself to singing,
Spirit winging
Skyward if the bar were open-air.
But dark and smoky,
This gloomy cave traps him
As it breathes cool, lime fragrance
Into the street, inviting company
With a splash of laughter
And his strumming
Each time the heavy doors swing open.
He gathers us all to him with his welcome
And tries to take us with him
When he soars.
But our weighty wants
Only keep him earthbound
So we can hear his songs
A little longer.