DEE ALLEN - POEMS

Dee Allen. 
African-Italian performance poet based in Oakland, California. Active on the creative writing & Spoken Word tips since the early 1990s. Author of 4 books [ Boneyard, Unwritten Law, Stormwater and his newest, Skeletal Black, all from POOR Press ] and 24 anthology appearances [ including Poets 11: 2014, Feather Floating On The Water, Rise, Your Golden Sun Still Shines, What Is Love, The City Is Already Speaking, The Land Lives Forever, Extreme and the newest, Civil Liberties United, edited by Shizué Seigel ] under his figurative belt so far. 

   TWO MODELS
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“Game recognises game”                                             Leather corsets
                                                                                    Knee-high stiletto
Popular saying                                                             Heeled boots
Used in some                                                              Were kept out of
Black people’s                                                             Those photo shoots.
Conversations 
                                                                                    Bunny believed that
Normally blurted out                                                   The female form 
When one sees                                                            Could stand on its own
Their best qualities                                                      And that was no lie
In another.
                                                                                   Considering the sometimes
Example given:                                                           Pin-up had Manhattan’s
                                                                                   Reigning queen pin-up
Back in the 1950s,                                                       Queen Bettie to work with.
A Florida                                                                    Potential best seller
Cheesecake model      
Didn’t want to                                                            Who could flex
Limit herself to being                                                  Into any pose,
Before flashing cameras.                                             In many guises:
So she switched positions.            
The camera                                                                A housewife,
Was in her hands                                                       A vixen,
For a change.                                                             A splashing 
                                                                                  Beach bunny,
The amateur                                                              A female
Photographer                                                            Tarzan in
In this tale—let’s                                                       Leopard skin,
Call her Bunny—                                                      A fisherwoman
Was found by                                                           On a boat reeling in
Her other self:                                                          Her catch in the raw,
A New York                                                             Decorating a small
City model                                                                Christmas tree with just
Visiting Miami                                                          A Santa hat & a wink--
On holiday—let’s                                          
Call that one Bettie—                                               “Game recognises game”--
                                                                    W: 4.25.18


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​FIREBAIT

He was allowed                                                            Underground favourite
To have his                                                                  Top model Miss Page
Freedom outside                                                          Seductress—Saint
Prison walls                                                                  Naughty—Nice
On the condition                                                         Paradox on 
That he destroy                                                            Spiked heels
His life’s work,                                                             Under flames
End his business                                                          Bubbling
Of making & selling                                                     Melting
Pics mail-order.                                                            Decomposing
Such was the deal,                                                        Beauty and bondage
Faustian bargain,                                                          Disappearing
Irving Klaw                                                                  Nowhere as searing
Made with                                                                    As the fire
The federal government,                                              Estes Kefauver
Relentless, on the hunt                                                 Tennessee senator
For perverts,                                                                Presidential wanna-be
Juvenile delinquents                                                     And their Senate
And menacing Reds                                                     Sub-committee
Hidden under                                                              Built for poor Irving
People’s beds.                                                              And his camera
Glossy                                                                         Snapping sister.
Monochrome                                                              Three-fourths
Four-by-fives,                                                             Of the photos, the
Eight-by-tens,                                                             Worst of the worst,
Film negatives                                                             Were ashes.
“Harmful matter”                                                       Paula Klaw, fortunately,
Disposable bait                                                           Kept the last fourth,
Fed to                                                                         Saw future
The fire                                                                       Selling potential.
Roaring in                                                                   Thank goodness for 
A metal rubbish bin.                                                   Crafty little sisters.
                                                          W: Gay Pride Day 2018


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    HOLLYWOOD MANNEQUIN
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                                                              LOS ANGELES 1945

20th Century Fox 
Took a chance
On a fresh new face
Visiting from San Francisco,
By giving her a screen test,
On the strength of
A few cute photos.

For her entrance
To big screen 
Immortality,
Back lot
Studio beauticians
Hooked up Roy & Edna Page’s
Dreamy-eyed daughter with

Parted black hair
Pulled back severely,
Too much red
Slathered on her lips
Near circus clown quality,
Eyebrows pencilled in
To Charlie Chaplin thickness

Just like
Joan Crawford.

Performing hula dances and
Playing movie star games
With the other kids
At the orphanage,
Staging beauty pageants
With her two sisters
Outside their clapboard
House in Nashville

Didn’t prepare 
Young Bettie for
Cosmetic reconstruction 
Into a Hollywood mannequin

Whose looks
Horrified her at first sight,
Whose face
She didn’t recognise
As hers,
Whose natural
Southern drawl
Left appalled
Ears trained to accept
Clear, unaccented English

And looking like
The scariest actress
On screen and off
Didn’t win her
Any studio contracts.

Disillusion
Followed Bettie
Back to S.F.,
Stayed with her for days.
Her dream
Of the actress’ life
Didn’t end there--
W: Marilyn Monroe Birthday 2018

​                                        NEON CROSS

Armon Carlyle Walterson                                               Her regret--
Couldn’t dance a step                                                     What a way to spend
And he didn’t bother trying.                                           The approach of 1959--
His new bride Bettie                                                       Walking along the beach
Wanted to go dancing                                                     And White Street
On New Year’s Eve 1958.                                              Lonely and blue--
Neither of the two could
Agree on a damn thing.                                                  Then her attention
All Armon wanted to do                                                Was drawn to
Was stay home, eat                                                         A familiar emblem:
Hamburgers & watch TV.                                              The very sight
Creature of routine.                                                        Of a bright
And no ambition.                                                           Neon cross
This picture of matrimony                                              On a church roof.
Contradicted Bettie’s                                                      To Bettie, it seemed
Dreams of Key West life                                                Her lord took her
With her younger groom.                                               By the hand, guided
                                                                                      Her across the street
She left her house                                                          Into the sanctuary
In tears, knowing 
This was the end                                                            Led into
For the newlywed couple.                                              Full pews,
This last argument.                                                        Choir singing,
Suburban fantasy                                                           The preacher
Curtain call.                                                                   Calling his
Her face,                                                                       Congregation
A lachrymose masque,                                                   Forward to repent
The starry sky above,                                                     For Jesus Christ,
Smeared blotches                                                          The front pulpit
Of light                                                                         And her
Against black,                                                                Eventual
Released in sobs                                                            Salvation.
                                                                      W: 7.25.18    

RUMOURS

The black-haired former Tennessee Tease
Flashing country girl smile that could melt a man
And a figure sure to please

Left New York City for cold Canada land--
So we’ve been misled--
Maybe slinging hash in a Texas diner was her plan

Or maybe she’d married a man royalty-bred.
Wrong again. It’s much more uncouth.
She died under fire from Mafia lead.

Becoming a Christian born again was the only truth
Out of many swirling wild rumours.
The cross she wore, Bible she held gave us sure proof.
W: 7.30.18

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