The Night Katie Went to Newport

The night Katie went to Newport

The bridge was closed down

For fear that too many of the land dwellers

Would try to escape

For one last summer evening

Away from the city buildings

And the cement sidewalks

Leading only to dry bars

And clubs where people were waiting

For other people to dance

Katie made it across the bridge

Just as the last car was being stopped

And instructed

To go back, back, back

She stuck her head out the window

And let the luck

Run through her hair

Then she instructed her driver

To find a dive bar

With a lobster on its roof

And Bruce Springsteen

Ringing through

The rafters

When they found the bar

Katie jumped out

And past the doorman

Who sort of thought he maybe kinda

Knew who she was anyway

She was in a recognizable mood that night

It took until midnight

Before the dive bar’s lobster

Came down off the roof

To crawl back into the ocean

And head for a warmer climate

Katie was inside leading a sing-a-long

To the collected hits

Of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young

Wearing a fedora

And demanding that everyone call her Regina

Her driver finally convinced her

To head home

Sometime around three

But by then

The streets all led to each other

And the bridge was fast asleep

Katie and her driver

Walked the cobblestones

And saluted the ghosts

Of ancient wealth

And prosperity

We don’t have ghosts like you in Providence

Katie explained to them

Then snapped her photo

Next to a Civil War soldier

And a boating heiress

The last thing she remembered

Was running towards the ocean

In a long, flowing evening gown

That someone must have put on her

When she complained about the sea air

Sneaking in through the cracks

Of the walls

Of the dive bar

She leapt head-first into the water

And was caught by the lobster

Who had decided that a few more nights in Newport

Couldn’t hurt, could they?

And as she was carried back to the mainland

Katie thought to herself

Such a lovely night

And what a pity, thought the lobster

Continuing her train of thought

As Katie took a deep enough breath

To sustain her

On the ride back to Providence

Her driver watched the lobster

Carry Katie away

From the safety

Of the shore

He even considered waving to them

But instead, he found an all-night ice cream shop

And watched the morning arrive

With a vanilla cone

And almond toppings

And under the moon, the lobster swam

Swam and thought--

What a pity

Keeping Katie a few inches

Above the water

At all times

What a pity

She won’t remember this

At all