Christopher Rubio-Goldsmith
Billy Murcia Died So You Could Punk
Billy, no Ricardo, Murcia was the bad-ass
Columbiano drummer for the genderless punk band The Dolls.
(Las Munecas?)
Lipsticked, hair sprayed
beyond lust,
RicardoBilly’s drums rumbled,
future cracking
out of the shell, banging
over tops of New York City
skyscrapers.
The Dolls, touring England, opened for
el David Bowie, and after the set
fiestad at the galactic
post-concert party.
There, the gorgeous thunder drummer
surrounded by the rich,
powerful velvet
royalty youth,
RicardoBilly did not
understand the secret horrors
of tea time class privilege. Silk
laced teens with rage
and titles filling a room beyond
seams and hinges,
walls bending, containing
the room’s
paroled souls.
There, RicardoBilly passes out, blacks out,
embraces the floor, and the fans, host,
other London rodents,
inconvenienced,
place RicardoBilly in a bathtub
filled with ice water.
The party crowd then
leaves, leaves, leaves
RicardoBilly iced by himself.
They abandon the passed-out Doll drummer
and RicardoBilly the keeper of thunder
drowns.
Tour-over, RicardoBilly by himself in a London lush residence,
by himself, by himself,
listening by himself to the diminishing.
Billy, no Ricardo, Murcia was the bad-ass
Columbiano drummer for the genderless punk band The Dolls.
(Las Munecas?)
Lipsticked, hair sprayed
beyond lust,
RicardoBilly’s drums rumbled,
future cracking
out of the shell, banging
over tops of New York City
skyscrapers.
The Dolls, touring England, opened for
el David Bowie, and after the set
fiestad at the galactic
post-concert party.
There, the gorgeous thunder drummer
surrounded by the rich,
powerful velvet
royalty youth,
RicardoBilly did not
understand the secret horrors
of tea time class privilege. Silk
laced teens with rage
and titles filling a room beyond
seams and hinges,
walls bending, containing
the room’s
paroled souls.
There, RicardoBilly passes out, blacks out,
embraces the floor, and the fans, host,
other London rodents,
inconvenienced,
place RicardoBilly in a bathtub
filled with ice water.
The party crowd then
leaves, leaves, leaves
RicardoBilly iced by himself.
They abandon the passed-out Doll drummer
and RicardoBilly the keeper of thunder
drowns.
Tour-over, RicardoBilly by himself in a London lush residence,
by himself, by himself,
listening by himself to the diminishing.
Christopher Rubio-Goldsmith taught high school English for 28 years. Presently, he enjoys watching soccer on Telemundo and reads whatever catches his eye. His work has appeared in Allium Journal, Touchstone Journal, Rockvale Review and other places too.