Neon and Chrome

There was a diner of neon and chrome

With walls that shone like a bomber plane's nose 

And seat cushions red as a pinup girl's lips.

There was a checkered floor and ads on the wall

For Chesterfield cigarettes, The Best For You.

There was a jukebox with bubbles and tubes

And The Platters and The Shangri-Las

And Bill Haley and His Comets.

There were the sliders in wax paper baskets,

French fries drizzled in cheddar and chives, 

Thick malt pouring from cold steel cups,

Bazooka Joe gum with tiny comic strips.

You would have been my sock hop sweetie

With a polka dot scarf around your soft neck

And I would’ve been your James Dean

With a booth all to ourselves

And two straws for one shake,

But the bosses stole the money

And Covid dealt the final blow,

And gone is the diner of neon and chrome.

Reviews

[Andrew John]

Your poetry is so rich with things I may've forgotten. One gets old, one gets old! I'm going back to it for a further read. Nice stuff, Casey. :)

[W. Barrett Munn]

Really nicely crafted. This must have been a throwback place as you are too young to have lived the real thing.
Good work.

Winston

[John the Baptist]

Nice conjuring up of a time and a style. I have been in such diners many times. As the poem notes, such places are now things of the past. As are Bill Haley and the Comets.