THE EMERALDS, STOLEN BY THE GIGOLO

These gigolos, how do they do it?

They are gentlemen when they take your hand

And gigolos when they take your jewelry

Soon all that is left is a errant trimming 

from their pencil moustaches

and a little puff of smoke

a whiff of bay rum and talcum


If only I had listened to his Excellency

but he is so terribly rotund

and that monacle is nowheresville

it is difficult to listen to a word he says

wise though he may be


BEWARE THE GIGOLO though he might say

his pear shape is so, well, so distracting

lest we forget the monacle

let’s not forget the monacle

not so, the gigolo



One can never 

forget the gigolo

trim and handsome and mustachioed

behind the puff of smoke

that he left lingering in space

his trousers clinking with goodies

and he is chuckling to himself

your friend forever

walking out the door

to somewhere forever,

1931