In the Forsythia Ballroom
drab in winter but colored bird
song sparrows sin and sing scat
swinging cardinals dance the Bounce
The balcony section, Honeysuckle,
upside down, man, with nuthatches
powdered snow confetti raining down
In the Forsythia Ballroom,
Oh, dig them juncos’ dance on ice
the necking finches in their booths swaying
birds air trumpeting Bird
of a feather of titmice footprints
No chicks allowed no smoking
but drinking smashberry wine
vaping vamping very verisimilitude
you dig, no, really, you dig
In the Forsythia Ballroom
the lights fade to silver to thread
let’s kick back bug cocktails
make bird babies
let’s thrum throat drum let’s twist
whose bushes these are
this cheap motel branch
About Eugene Jones Baldwin
I am a writer: non-fiction, fiction, journalism (Alton Telegraph), essays (The Genehouse Chronicles) and have a website: eugenebaldwin.com. I've published a couple dozen short stories and had eleven plays produced. Current projects: "Brother of the Stones" (available on Kindle), a book of short stories; "The Faithful Husband of the Rain, short stories"; "A Black Soldier's Letters Home, WWII,;" "There is No Color in Justice," a commentary on racism; "Ratkillers," a new play.
I am an avocational archaeologist and I take parts of my collection of several thousand Indian artifacts (personal finds) to schools, nature centers, libraries etc. and talk about the 20,000 year history of The First people in Illinois. (See link to website)
I'm also a playwright (eleven plays produced), musician, historian (authority on the Underground Railroad in Illinois, the Tuskegee Airmen) and teacher.
