Secret Dance

 

Secret Dance

 

Garishly plumed and conveniently bulging,

They advance upon the wallets in attendance,

The promise of fleshy delights unspoken,

Served up in three-minute intervals.

This is a street corner named “Politics”,

Where the pimps have names like

“Senator” and “CEO”.

The venue is cleaner,

But the rules are the same.

Outside, alligators prowl the golf course,

With names like “Bob from Sales” and “VP”,

Intent on sloppy seconds,

Or maybe a video from a bathroom stall.

In the main room,

A prince wanders through,

Or perhaps he’s a sheik,

It matters not,

Tonight the choices are his to make,

Honored guest,

And bankroll.

His ears are on high alert,

Listening for insult,

That he may pluck the fruit,

And pay nothing.

But the wallets smile graciously,

And the dresses writhe invitingly,

And he may need

To make agreement after all,

But the rewards could be great,

If the pigs can deliver.

It is an old game,

And he has won many rounds,

And in some come away with nothing,

But he has never lost.

Only a few here know it,

These he avoids,

For they have knowledge already,

And engagement only serves them more.

There are foxes among the pigs.

Now the host makes announcement,

The greed for gold withheld in his eyes,

The mouth making the necessary noises,

But the eyes shift to a guarded room,

Where secrets may be told.

Now the guest is escorted there,

In the company of a man,

He has met once,

Of serious mien,

And great capacity.

Now he is drawn inside,

And the whispered exchanges begin.

Soon there is accord,

And payment made,

And from behind thick curtains,

His countrymen are disclosed,

No forgiveness can be found in them.

A nod from the foremost,

And the man of capacity flexes his arms…

Alas,

The dance is over.

 

Cliff Lake 4/23/2024

Copyright © Clifford Lake 2024