Weighing Morals by Robert T. Rogers
Night Out
There’s no immediate out
from this required—crossed,
where bliss mixes a kiss
of bitterness. I hope
my exercise of mind
can rope-a-dope a while
longer, that these belly
blows make me stronger.
It’s a silly old trope
this Palisade cliff-
hanger—not exactly
a banger, but I’ll
strut your Club 82
runway, shoulder blades
out, sexy spin,
blank flock to your
jock’s talk. Oh,
you thought I meant
your flipper than
thou gratitude?
Your subtle mood
of scoff and cock-blocked
finesse, your pirouette
of sing-along bling.
Your loneliness? There’s
a little ring in your ears,
a tinnitus hum that runs
down your pantyhose.
I remember the diner
after Smalls jazz, your torch
song’s Broadway singalong,
almost like this, sis—
From ‘Tongues in Trees’, the second part to John’s full collection, ‘Brightened in the Telling.’
About the author:
John A. deSouza is the author of four chapbooks: Hidden (Bottlecap Press) and forthcoming: This Rough Magic (Rockwood Press); In the Garden (Finishing Line Press); Labyrinth (Bainbridge Island Press). His poem ‘Night Out’ is from Tongues in Trees, the unpublished follow on chapbook to This Rough Magic. He is recently featured in Poetry Salzburg Review #43. His poem ‘Prodigal’ is nominated for a 2025 Pushcart Prize. He has recently been published by ‘The Dalhousie Review (Spring)’, ‘The Courtship of Winds’ (Summer), ‘Neologism Poetry Journal’, ‘Willows Wept Review’, and others. A featured interview about John’s upcoming chapbook, This Rough Magic, will be available shortly in Philly Chapbook Review. John resides in Jersey City, NJ.
In the artist’s words:
Robert T. Rogers (b. Memphis, TN) artistic practice spans painting, digital photography, drawing, and writing. Drawn from intimate reflections and a studied curiosity about belief systems, his work often engages with secular culture while drawing inspiration from devotional art and Judeo-Christian spirituality. He holds an M.A. in Advertising and a B.A. in American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin, along with a Graduate Certificate in Visual Arts from Harvard Extension School.
He studied visual arts at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Harvard University; and the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Rogers’ work has been exhibited at The Naturalist Gallery of Contemporary Art, Washington, DC; Photo Artfolio, Boston, MA; and has been published by Vita Poetica Journal. His work is included in private collections and corporate settings, including Mass General Brigham, as well as Hilton and Marriott hotels.
A big thank you to JL Jacobs for publishing my work and pairing it with such a stunning painting!
Anyone interested in the origins of the poem can read more about its inspiration in downtown New York City nightlife in the 1990s at my Substack: https://substack.com/@johnadesouza
Thanks for reading my work!
John