Mephisto Fandango

by Catfish McDaris

The dawn sunlight danced through
the prickly pear spines creating
shadows and rainbows on Ramona’s
sleeping face, she had suggested we

Use the cacti to protect us from night
creatures, I got up quietly and built a
mesquite fire, we had trout we’d caught
I rolled them in corn meal, salt, and chili

I could see Ramona’s nostrils dilated and
a smile was splitting her face, I asked her if
she had any dreams, she said no, I told her
about mine, while in the army we played

Poker in big tents, there were big snow
storms where I was stationed, the same
place as Elvis Presley, she took over the
cooking, knowing that sometimes my dreams

Were long winded, I told her we ran out of
beer, so we sent Fatty to buy a case or two,
he got his name from being a fat dude, we
waited and waited, finally we all went looking

For him, there he was lying in the road, with
beer cans everywhere, he was moaning and
groaning, there was a tire track across his fat
belly, we all gathered the beer, but Fatty died

“That was damn near you’re longest and most
boring dream story ever,” I put on some White
Stripes Seven Nation Army and Jolene, we had
fish, danced our asses off, and smoked a phatty.