An old bar called
The Rose Tattoo
flew in from the past.
The flat blue outline of floret
appeared on an imaginary arm, filled
with that dank red
only pink flesh
could hold.

I hadn’t heard
Tangled Up in Blue
in ten years.
Early one morning
some redhead
flicked on the radio
in a local bodega
and the whole tale
sang out from both
our mouths.
We didn’t even
know each others’
names.

Image credit:Yannis Papanastasopoulos

Maria Mazzenga writes poetry and fiction from her home in Arlington, Virginia.  She's collaborated on four books of art, poetry, and fiction with visual artist Roger Doyle. Most recently, she's had poetry published in The Amethyst Review, The Bitchin' Kitsch, and Eyedrum Periodically, and fiction published in Chronos.