STILL WATERS
Forsythe Park, Savannah

None but another old man
would guess that the gentleman
shuffling ‘round the park
on his weathered wooden cane
is listening to Smokey Robinson
plead ooh baby baby
through Bluetooth hearing aids
and remembering tender dances
shared with young girls
on soft Sinatra nights
so many years ago.

– Joseph Neely, Feb. 2025

I’m fond of this poem; it’s short but evocative. It’s brand new so I’m still considering minor adjustments; for example, in line 6 does Smokey cry or plead ooh baby baby? Your input would be considered and appreciated. (UPDATE: the votes are in; ‘plead’ it is. I agree, and so return line 6 to its original wording.)

I really like the term “soft Sinatra nights” in line 10, and hope you agree. I originally wrote “soft summer nights” but couldn’t get past the fact that Frank Sinatra used those exact words in ‘It Was a Very Good Year’ (When I waUs seventeen/it was a very good year./It was a very good year for small town girls/and soft summer nights). I wanted to give ‘Ol Blue Eyes credit, but “Sinatra’s soft summer nights” was too much for the poem; hence, “soft Sinatra nights.” It’s a beautiful song; you can listen to it on YouTube here. I’ll likely post more from Savannah soon; it’s so beautiful that one can’t help but be inspired . . . .and 80 degrees in February is downright intoxicating for this Michigander.

Please flip back to any recent post if you are interested in information regarding the purchase of my book, SLOW RIVERS, Poems from My Sixties (ISBN 979-8-218-43822-7). In a nutshell, ask your local bookseller to order SLOW RIVERS or purchase it online through bookshop.org.

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A New Poem Every So Often.
(No regular schedule right now; life gets in the way.)

Joseph Neely, all rights to original material reserved.