BEER JOINT BLUES: LAS SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS DE LA CATORCE

It's called El Monkey's

The craig on a precipice 

Where the painted sirens sing

Writhing on shoals 

Of briney beer

Lying in wait for 

Wayward souls

Across stormy 14th Street 

Charlie's bar beckons

And from the door

Circe's girls sing welcomes

And attend 

To rancho boys

And shrimp-boat hands

With flickering tongues they melt the wax

That had kept them safe and hiss:

Ven p'aca chiquito

Ya te esperaba y

Me tienes encalmada

Aquí

Y estan muertas

Las bironguitas

Como te gustan,

A ti

Llegue bañadito, y aqui lo peinamos

Shortchanged,

And overspent,

And kept at bay

Till closing time 

Like pigs depart 

Reeking of hothouse scents

Under the watchful eyes

Of hardened cops

Ready to stop

The swindled prey

As they emerge

From velvet styes

And out the back

The sirens flee

Fluttering jnto the dark, away

Lechusas

To sleep off 

The watered wine

With which they fleeced

Their lust-starved swine

Until next night

When once again

Painted and gay

They will entice 

Their willing prey