Studio8 - Uniting the Arts

i walk the streets of the waterfront
the back haunts of piraeus, the dives
the tekes and cafe amans,
gutters where the refuse flows
with stray cats and beggars
a quarter - an anchovie, a sardine
and they lick my hand
i ply my trade among the fatted flesh
to pick a pocket with a well-turned rhyme
and after i've put in the hours
i try to turn my blood to wine
the needle has become my king
my dictator, my mussolini
like a vampire it feasts upon my shadow
because my flesh will not sustain
because my flesh will not sustain

greater love has no poet

please pardon my gut reaction and this second reply

in for a dime
poem gets better every time
I read it
thank you

thanks! the poem was inspired by an old rebetiko song of the same name; it translates to i'm a junkie.

great ending to a well crafted poem has an esoteric allure.....I dig it Dr. D

thanks guys!