Today,
it’s one month to go
till my “ANO COMPLETO”
or however they say it
in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Yo tengo 74 anos en todo
as a pin ball
in, by then, my 75th year!
(Three quarters of a century!!??
Como?)
Banging into,
ricoshaying off of all those
blinking rainbow bumpers.
Fate shifting the damn arcade floor,
again and again!
50 points more
rolling up!
(Why the hell did I hitch
to Chicago that winter?
I might have frozen!)
500 points ringing-up
in that annoying, repeating clanging!
(Jesus! I can’t even remember!
What the hell was her name anyway?)
Two bits a game!
Two bits a game!
The slope always ends up the same.
The ball rolling down and down,
disappearing into that funnel,
into that long, dark tunnel….
and again,
I’m surprised by those far off
sparkling neon lights,
the trumpets, trombones and a timphany
in the distance,
that distant cacophony !
Two bits a game!
Two bits a game!
A coin from each eye!
Listo!
Here I go!
Pobre cito!
Una vida mas!
Cross the River Stix!
Y quidado Viejo!
Voy a 76!
Poems by Ken 