The Bemusement arcade.

The Bemusement arcade.

The pinball was a spacecraft.

A brightly coloured

Cleverly disguised machine

Futuristically designed

To pass for retro.

It floated in a halo

Of flashing lights

And raucous bells,

That were accompanied,

Intermittently,

By strange reptilian rattles

And whistles.

It was surrounded by aliens.

Tall gangling stick thin creatures,

With dirty denim skin,

Lank hair and pale faces.

Even in the sparkle,

Which bounced off,

Forming bubbles

Around them

And danced a jive to the music

From the Wurlitzer,

Their eyes were so dull

They looked dead.

It was difficult

To breathe around them

Through the fug.

I could see that by

The way a dewy eyed

Primrose girl

Wiped her wet nose

And leaned against one of them,

She looked likely to pass out.

There was a heavy smell,

Sweet and sour,

A little like wet carpet,

The air was damp

With perspiration,

The steam rising

With the heat of their intentions.

The pinball rocked,

Fit to burst,

It was about ready to take off.

Besides

And they had burned up all

The oxygen.

Soon they would choke

The life out

Of this place

They seemed to be the only ones

Comfortable

In a room full of static

And a floor

Covered in fast food

Cartons,

Soda cans and flyers

For missing children.

I wondered

If it would be the same

In outer space.