The 1940s Room
Posh glass and chrome
polished marble floors
Valets parking Mercedes and Cads.
Busy and important loooking folks
moving like disturbed ants
across the busy lobby.
The 21st century model
of a travelers paradise
for a day has a 1940s venue.
The door to the hall
opens into the time machine
set for the mid 40s.
Sister Swing out do the Andrew Sister
with Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
to a sea of nodding white hair.
The first notes of Rum and Coca-Cola
rouses dancers to the
postage size dance floor.
Each couple wears their life’s story
on their lapels
like the captions in old yearbooks.
Call them Don and Joann
high school sweet hearts
dancing as they have for 70 years.
Matching dancing outfits
with black and white shoes
they still dance to their old music.
And look at Sam and Yoshie.
He does the sailor Lindy Hop
and the war bride was a very fast learner.
Dancers stop and watch
for this is the way it was done
before dance was corrupted by Chicken Wing
Last couple is Mary and Wilber
Mary best dancer in her class now with
two left feet, Wilber, the brilliant class geek.
Wilber could learn anything
but with Mary as teacher and 70 years
of instruction he still has two left feet.
Matched perfectly in life
but not on the dance floor
where a big brain doesn’t boss the feet.
Winding down when clock hands meet
at ‘Round Midnight and
dancers bend good night.
The end is marked not with
Goodnight Sweetheart instead
I’ll Be With You in Apple blossom Time.
Musical Brigadoon is over and
sad listeners head for the CD table
to take home some time magic.
There will be a next time
assured by the by
the young dance class members.
They will keep the 40s alive
after the white headed audience
and dancers are history.
Doug Minnis 9/16/14