ladies of the night in old DC

for fun

as kids, tired of playing

stick ball behind

the bowling alley,

we'd drive into the city

to observe

the ladies of the night

strolling

the neighborhoods

around the Mayflower

Hotel,

or 14th street.

only one of us was old

enough to drive.

they were tall women

in short dresses,

blondes

and red heads mostly

wearing

high heels and fishnet stockings.

heavily made up

with rouge and lipstick.

it was fascinating, almost like

visiting the zoo

and seeing creatures

from a foreign land.

we yell out to each other,

hey, look at that one

over there

in the red dress.

they'd blow us kisses

as we rolled down

the windows.

telling us to come back in

a few years,

when we had some money.

it was ten and two back then.

ten for the girl,

two for the room.

the cops didn't seem to care,

in fact they

knew them all by name,

and watched over them

like guardian angels.