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Rabo (Tail)

By Paul Stephenson

How Will I Know (1985), Didn’t We Almost Have It All (1987),

All the Man That I Need (1990), Whitney Houston

It was Fran I wanted

sometimes Thursday

my life on it

with his huge dirty laugh

and us tight, a threesome

the Kings of Chueca

not his sidekick Santi

every Friday, Saturday

knowing he’d be there

me out late, in tow

Cher Madonna Whitney Houston

royal and thirsty

Squeezing inside

at Polana and Liquid

backlit liquor

in mirrors of mirrors

armed with each other

till the sun came up

at Rik’s and Why Not?

velvet curtains and video

the perfumed faces    

in blue neon bathrooms

en plan, ligando

por la calle y por la plaza.

Not Francisco but Fran

muy mono, tan guapo

who taught me      

how to roll my r’s

no tiene rabo porque

¡Exacto! ¡¡Así es!!

too young for Paco

my mouthy chulo

with his tongue                      

El perro de San Roque

Ramón Ramírez se lo ha cortado

¡¡¡Muy bien Pablito!!!’

Upside down exclamation

his no belt filled out

black polo gold chain

sus palabras y flirteos

the boy from Getafe

my southern suburb

in cheap jeans

stonewashed denim

musk scent long drink

todo eso me gustó

the one The One

I longed to go to

He ordered whisky DYC

the local brand

relish of mischief

a stream from on high

I tried I did               

San Roque’s dog has no tail

said ¡Dame tu DYC!

his head knocked back

he liked to watch them pour it

me looking hard

to train my tongue                 

because Ramón Ramírez has cut it off

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