Cisco de Piedra Isla: Another Poem

So, once upon a time in Mexico
I went to a circus near Mazatlán.
By far the best money I ever spent.

Isla Piedra, a peninsula.
Water taxi across the canal.
Along one side of a dirt road are homes,
Restaurants and small accommodations.
On the other side lies the Pacific
Ocean, jungle all around. Public beach.

Walking the road one lovely afternoon
I first hear the loudspeaker in Spanish.
Odd, because I hear the word ‘monkey’ and
Spanish for monkey is ‘mona/mona’.

On the ocean side of the road I see
A large trailer with cartoons of Flintstones.
The words “Circo de Piedra Isla”.
Leaning out a window on a short leash –
Can’t have circus animals’ desertion -
Is such a sad looking forlorn monkey.

I, being a former carnie barker
And a frustrated impresario,
Am fascinated by such tawdry things.
Former lawyer feels bad for the monkey
But the Aries sure wants to see the show.

The circus is under the big top tent
With a ring in the middle surrounded
By bleachers. Maybe thirty-five people.
The show opens with a Wilma Flintstone
Riding a unicycle while Barbie
Balances on her chin accompanied
By what sounds like an old scratchy LP.
It is early twentieth century
But given the context hardly steam punk
Or even irony. And the context?

Next act is a poodle running around
The ring with a screaming monkey on back.

Third: Ernesto, thin fit man with long hair,
Beard, make up; wearing a pink bikini
Doing a bump and grind tent pole dance to
Scratchy non ironic LP music.
“I bet your momma was a tent show queen!”

An intermission of course where circus
Folk sold such delicacies as wieners
With tortilla chips and salsa. Surely
Adults don’t go to the circus for food?

Then comes the main attraction. Cue more of
Scratchy non ironic LP music.
Three lip-syncing amigos in fake suits.
One playing plywood painted up to look
Like an accordion and one simply
Carrying and strumming a nice sweep broom.
The third has an ugly fake bass guitar
Consisting of broom stick attached to a
Toilet seat, banging it to rhythms of
Scratchy non ironic LP music.

The sweep broom player reaches over and
He is pretending to play the strings of
The real nice fake toilet seat bass guitar.
Literature calls this ‘foreshadowing.’

During some more lip-syncing to sounds of
Scratchy non ironic LP music
Sweep broom player reaches over to stroke
Non-existent strings of the fake toilet
Seat bass guitar. This time the player lifts
Seat and the sweep broom player strokes his groin.
Subsequent/consequent orgasmic face
Provoking laughter from the thirty-five.

Wait! There’s more! Fake bass guitar player feigns
Exhaustion and sits down cross legged. He
Pulls a huge kitchen spoon out of a bag,
Sticks the bowl of the spoon back in the bag,
Tosses icing sugar on his nose and
Then jumps up, plays with frantic antics to
Scratchy non-ironic LP music.

And that’s all amigas and amigos.

The one night I went to the circus in
El pueblo de los cactus con un solo burro.

Best money I ever spent but show biz
Sure is a hell of a life for a monkey.

Hey rube!

Gracias amigo!

¡Muy chévere!