Ora (no. 117 of Women’s names sensual series) by Carrie Magness Radna

“It’s more fun at the bar,”

you argued. 

Sighing, I relented

& stretched out my bare legs

which ran for 10 miles. 

Men stared at my freckled shoulders

as I smoothed out 

the new wrinkles on my sundress. 

It was too late

to wear sundresses—but the weather

outside was still muggy & hot

as if it was still Summer.

Your whiskey on the rocks 

was melting as you left 

your barstool to pick & play

tunes from the Wulitzer jukebox.

I waited & sipped my Aperol spritz

with anticipation—another Beatles fest?

Yeah, this crowd can handle it,

& they do with “Love me do”

& the bar was happy for a while

as we sang along.

“Is this Indian Summer?”

you asked me. 

How would I know?

I thought; I’m not Native American

but I grew up in Oklahoma

where bare legs were prevalent.

I shrugged.

“I have no idea. But we just had

the Harvest Moon shining this week.

It’s supposed to be cooler than this.

Damn global warming …”

The drinks were still cold

but running out. We order

another round as we turn

around to watch the people

dance & finally getting out. 

 

A 2020 nominee for Best of the Web, Carrie Magness Radna is an audiovisual cataloger at New York Public Library, a choral singer and a poet who loves traveling. Her poems have previously appeared in The Oracular Tree, Mediterranean Poetry, Muddy River Poetry Review, The Rainbow Project (Poets Wear Prada), Shot Glass Journal, Poetry Super Highway, Spillwords.com, Cajun Mutt Press, Polarity eMagazine, Walt’s Corner, The Poetic Bond (VIII-X), First Literary Review-East and Jerry Jazz Musician. Her first chapbook, Conversations with dead composers at Carnegie Hall (Flutter Press) was published in January 2019, and her self-published chapbook, Remembering you as I go walking (Boxwood Star Press) was published in August 2019. Her first poetry collection, Hurricanes never apologize (Luchador Press) was published in December 2019. Her new poetry collection, In the blue hour, is now published by Nirala Publications (January 2021). Born in Norman, Oklahoma, she now lives with her husband in Manhattan.  https://carriemagnessradna.com