In The Fifth
John Jessup Kennan 1953 (Pomona)
Freddy was itchin' for a fight
Never knew who the enemy was
Scuffling for phantom purses
Marlon Brando without a cause
He climbs into that ring each night
But he's never met the issue
A proud pug punching speed bags
In the mirror applying scar tissue
So he makes his play
And he takes his pay
And he takes a dive in the fifth
And the fifth hits back
And it hits back hard
Lays him out on the canvas stiff
Molly is a dime-store dancer
Double-time dime bags her pay
Prancin' for punchies in back-street bars
They would dance the night right away
She climbs onto that stage each night
The issues have never been clearer
Proud pony on the quarter pole
Applies scar tissue in the mirror
But the bag hits back
And it hits back hard
Lays her out on the canvas stiff
So she makes her play
And she takes her pay
And she takes a dive in the fifth
Freddy coulda been a contender
Molly coulda been a star
But it was easier to bob and weave
And apply the tissue to the scars
So Freddy hits the canvas hard
Molly gyrates on poles for strangers
The audiences' lusts fulfilled
Their mirrors are their only dangers
So they make their play
And they take their pay
And they take their dive in the fifth
And the fifth hits back
And it hits back hard
Lays them out on the canvas stiff
And the bag hits back
And it hits back hard
Lays them out on the canvas stiff
© John Kennan 10-5-19
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Submitted by rankstranger7 on May 24, 2021
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:20 min read
- 4 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | abxb acxc ddeFGh idjd aixi fGhdde ixxj gkxk ddeFGH fGH x |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,327 |
Words | 267 |
Stanzas | 11 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 6, 4, 4, 6, 4, 4, 6, 3, 1 |
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"In The Fifth" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/100813/in-the-fifth>.
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