Last Mojito, The

Forbidden City

40 THE LAST MOJITO Forbidden City I have done nothing To distinguish myself In this forbidden city Where even a simple kiss Misses its intended mark And an embrace is unthinkable. My shadow awaits me Behind the neighborhood bar Whose neon sign has lost Almost all its letters And flashes a single “S” To signify this must be the place. I share a row of stools With silent men like me— Always sporting a few days’ growth, As if to show each other We’re members of the brotherhood— A sect that has enough time To stroke our whiskers While we drain the bottle dry. I have done nothing To distinguish myself In this forbidden city, Where thoughts of love Never travel farther Than unsteady steps Down the next long street. ...