Irving Heard
_________________

MIDTOWN BLUES
(By Irving Heard, 2004)

Saturday night
Nothing new
Passing time
What to do
Press the suit
Shine the shoes
Step on out
Catch some blues

Willing silhouettes
Smiles in place
None a semblance
None her face
Head for home
Quarter to three
Resigned solitude
Reveille o’ reverie

Back to the room
The constant same
An old booth photo
A dime store frame
Hang up the suit
Box the shoes
Saturday night
Found the blues

BOURBON STREET ALLEY
(By Irving Heard, 2004)

In a dark alley
Tiptoeing slow
Scared to whistle
Wanting moon glow
I hear a scream
Chilling my spine
And I say Lord
"Is it my time?"
Then I recognize
Those scary sounds
Just an old tom cat
Making his rounds

MY SON THE DOCTOR
(By Irving Heard, 2004)

I worked like a dog
All my life
To provide for a son
And a caring wife

The boy grew up
Showing dedication
So off to Cal
For a fine education

Then on to med school
To be an MD
A very heavy burden
On his mother and me

But we paid the price
Sent tuition annually
A good investment for
A doctor in the family

Then he wanted more
Time, had to specialize
A radiologist reading
Things filled with dyes?

And finally relief
For the wife and me
Our son was a Fellow,
Board Certified, MD

But an earache I had
Compounded my fears
On a plea for help said he,
"Dad, I don't do ears!"