Newport Harbor Poem by Justin Gildow

From afar I see you've taken off your necklace
Given to you by one of your many boyfriends
And dropped it on the ground
While turning and walking away
Giggling with your other girlfriends

Whatever is your trash sweetheart
It's to me, my treasure

I pocket your discarded necklace
And I continue on my way
Through Newport Harbor

As night approaches
All the teens in Newport Harbor are hanging around
Enjoying the gossip and the music on the side
I can tell that after all the dancing they've had
They're ready to slide

As I've come to realise
From the sight of my own eyes
And through the experiences that I've had in my life
All the things that are fun, come and go
And that all the things that are serious, hang around or last

After pawning the necklace
I walk out with a huge sum of money in my pocket
And a smile on my face

I pay for a night to remember
A night on the town
I ride in the backseat of a limo
Enjoying the night
Adoring the stars

As the driver drives
We pass by the girls all decked out like divas and heiresses
While arguing with their boyfriends

As we pass through Newport Harbor
I suggest to the driver some music for the ride
Either Midnight Oil, or the Fine Young Cannibals

We stop at a nice restaurant
I pay my driver a tip
And I tell him to come back in a while

I enter the restaurant
And I tell my hostess ' non-smoking and someplace alone '
' I adore and enjoy the peace and quiet on nights like this '
She complies

She sits me alone
But it's by a young couple
She told me ' I tried '
I tell her ' It's alright '

I can't help it if it feels like I have an ear to the wall
Hearing the young couple talk so loudly

I have spaghetti, garlic bread, and a root beer

After the meal
I tip my waitress
And I wish her well
As well as having a goodnight

I notice the young couple offer me dirty looks
I return a scowl to them

Outside the restaurant
I wait by the side
Waiting for my ride to arrive

It finally arrives
I get back in
He tells me ' where to next ''
I tell him ' take me home '
He complies

During the drive home
We stop at a stoplight
We see the boyfriends and girlfriends
still at the same place before
The boyfriends comb their hair with a pocket comb
The girls apply lip balm and lip gloss

As we pass them by
I notice axes being thrown at windows
Smashing the glass
And all the girlfriends run away screaming
As the boyfriends find a place in the alley to remain calm as well as hide

With only a few dollars left
I ask my driver to stop
I tell him ' your work is done my friend, your job is done '
He asks me ' Are you sure, is this alright '
I tell him ' It is, I'm going to savor the walk home '

I pay him what's left
He shakes my hand
And he wishes me well
And I wish him the same

As he pulls away from me
I smile and begin my walk home
Recounting everything that happened to me today and tonight
In Newport Harbor