The cigarette butts were piling up out front Where was that steady breeze? So she wouldn't have to get the broom out So, they would blow off to the trees Way back in the corner though One man continued to smoke inside It was a right given to him years ago No one ever argued, no one ever tried The bar was smelling musty No matter how hard she tried The owner couldn't make it fresh That's because all the food was fried In the window, a brown and crumpled card Notified the world "We're Open" now But, outside of the old man, and the crew No one in the outside world really knew Visitors never came here, they stayed away from here The regs didn't care though To them, it meant more beer A college game was on TV Two crap teams from the west No one was really watching them The regs liked the East the best The carpet, full of burn marks From cigarettes long burned out Dropped from pursed and drunken lips Who also no longer were about The barkeep could tell stories Though there was few there who hadn't heard The stories of the past long gone The regs knew every word The posters drab and dreary Selling beer from years ago From breweries long since empty And with tag lines nobody even knew A poster for Black Label and one for Jolly's brew In the back sat a piano Out of tune and never played It had been out of use forever The keys were cracked and grey The bar itself was dying A relic inside four walls It was dressed in papered squalor Like an old man with no ***** The windows showed their age Shaking when the wind did blow Ice was always building on them There was more inside that in the snow A breath of life was badly needed The bar was really already dead They hadn't made a dime in decades They always ran it in the red Today though, things would change The door opened from the past In walked a man of substance Another character to the cast He sat down on a bar stool Ordered up, and looked around And there standing in the corner He saw the piano...with no sound Asking if anybody played her The barkeep said "No, she's long since died" "Do you mind if I go and play her" "It's been a while since someone tried" He rolled it out from dark in hiding Hit a key, and hurt his ear Lifted the lid to look inside her And then he ordered up another beer He hit the keys and played a little "Let's give this thing a whirl" The sound it made was flat and pokey "There's lot's of life in this old girl" "I'll tune it up and come and play her" "If you'd like...that is of course" "Mr. if that's what makes you happy" "But, I think you're beating a dead horse" "By the way, they call me Johnny" "Johnny Fingers if you please" "I'll tune her up and play a while" "I'll get her clean and bang those keys" The barkeep offered up a contract Tune her up and play for free "If you're good, I'll pay you extra" "The jury's out, we'll wait and see" Johnny laughed and said "You got it" "I'll play whenever you decide" "I'll play whatever's asked for" And he had a smile ten miles wide The barkeep said "The venture's on then" "Let's have a talk, and grab a seat" "There are some things I have to tell you" "Johnny....welcome to The Street".
A new character to The Street poems. Go back and read them if you haven't already.