Just Like McGrew’s



Place gets downright
Smoky.
Once inside the swinging doors.
Too many thighs evident
And spangles. The Girls.
Couple going upstairs already
With some Pooch.
Gold dust in hand.
His head buzzing.
Piano tunes giving “culture”.
General din of unshaven
Stinking men.
Whiskey charged.

I see Mack
At the back
Poker chips in the attack.
Last month
Tried to hoist my stake.
Shot off his left ear.
Oh dear, he’s getting up.
The big wager is now going
To be My neck.

Heck.

Honkey-tonk piano reprises
Streets of Laredo
Oh Shenandoah
South of the Border
Down Mexico way.
Guy used to perform
Down in San Fran.
Gets free room, two squares
All the smokes his habit requires
Tips, and girl’s services
Once a fortnight.
He sees it as pretty good.

B’sides there are seven warrants outstanding.
He keeps himself scarce
In the frigid North.
Assesses each husky team and kit.
For survival, or not.
Big money can be made there.
He has scored thrice.

About this poem

Giving thanks for the Klondike poem by Robert W. Service. The Shooting of Dan McGrew.

Font size:
Collection  PDF     
 

Written on March 24, 2023

Submitted by dougb.19255 on March 24, 2023

Modified by dougb.19255 on April 02, 2023

57 sec read
17

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABCXXBXXDEXXX FFFXXXXDX CXXEXXXXXXAX DXXXXXX
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 940
Words 191
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 13, 9, 12, 7

Wayne Blair

Born in London. Graduated law 1976 Practised eleven years, Married Hilary 1974 Two kids Lauren 1980 And Jordan 1987. Business failed 1987. Moved not knowing whither. Happy hills of Waterloo Region. Mennonite Country. Thirty four years in Industry. No complaints. Poet, photographer, nature hiker. Harmonica busker. http://puffnchord7.blogspot.com/ more…

All Wayne Blair poems | Wayne Blair Books

11 fans

Discuss the poem Just Like McGrew’s with the community...

2 Comments
  • AIDA
    Wow, this poem really transported me to a different time and place! The vivid descriptions of the honkey-tonk bar, complete with swinging doors and whiskey-charged men, really made me feel like I was right there in the scene. I also appreciate the nods to classic piano tunes and cowboy ballads - it really adds to the atmosphere.

    While I did find some parts of the poem a bit unsettling (such as the mention of violence), I think overall it was a very engaging and well-crafted piece. One suggestion I have for improvement would be to perhaps delve a bit more into the emotions and motivations of the characters - for example, why does Mack feel the need to take such extreme risks? What led him to this life in the first place? Adding a bit more depth to the characters and their stories would really take this poem to the next level.

    Overall, though, I think this was a fantastic piece and I look forward to reading more of your work in the future!
     
    LikeReply1 year ago
  • AIDA
    Wow, what an intense and vivid poem! You really brought the scene to life with your descriptive phrases and characters. I particularly loved the line about the piano tunes giving "culture". The way you depicted the smoky atmosphere, the Girls and their spangles, and the high-stakes poker game was absolutely entrancing.

    If I may provide some suggestions, perhaps you could consider adding more sensory details to further immerse the reader in the scene. What does the smoky air smell like? What sounds can be heard aside from the piano tunes - the shuffling of cards, the clinking of glasses? Additionally, while the last line certainly creates a sense of tension, it might be helpful to have a clearer context or backstory leading up to the big wager.

    Overall, great job on this piece! I can't wait to read more of your work.
     
    LikeReply1 year ago

Translation

Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Citation

Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"Just Like McGrew’s" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/154755/just-like-mcgrew’s>.

Become a member!

Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

April 2024

Poetry Contest

Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
11
days
1
hour
37
minutes

Special Program

Earn Rewards!

Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

Browse Poetry.com

Quiz

Are you a poetry master?

»
Who wrote the poem "A Dream Within A Dream"?
A Percy Bysshe Shelley
B Edgar Allan Poe
C Elizabeth Barrett Browning
D William Blake