FL 50’s

Rick McKenzie

This is where a hotel used to be.
Neon made the gin a sea-breeze blue,
Just as if Korea never happened.
High priestess of the scene in Jantzen
Slipped into the swimming pool,
And sent the light to slither on cement.
At the bar you could buy cocktails
Named for science-fiction movies.
You could start a conversation
Around the pink and curving walls.
It was air-conditioned, waiting for you.
It was what you always thought you were.

Rick McKenzie lives in Florida. His work has appeared in The Minnetonka Review, Pearl, Wisconsin Review, and more.
Originally published:
April 1, 2018

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