In Night of The Iguana

Richard Burton drives the tour bus down the hill
and on by my apartment building
(my apartment four years later)
on the corner of Hidalgo at the bottom of the hill
and he turns the corner
going alongside the creek
passing the women washing clothes
on the rocks and goes on out of town to Maxine’s.

At the end of my first week here
the maid Maria brought my laundry back
smelling of human feces.

Smell of fish coming in from the Bay!

At the creek two little boys, pants down,
squatting on the rocks, crapping in the water!
A goat with a rope around its neck watching!

Smell of summer heat and rotten fruit!

Local women down at creek edge
beating clothes on large white rocks.
Slosh! Slosh! Slosh!

I am in love with Deborah (Hannah).
She’s an elegant, broke, sketch artist.
(But this is four years later.)
I climb the hill to Ava’s (Maxine’s) hotel.
I take a look inside Maxine’s room. It’s okay!
I look inside Shannon’s room. It’s okay!
Sue (Charlotte) no longer hiding in there waiting for Shannon!
The rooms: just as they left them!
Along with his wheelchair, the body
of Deborah’s grandfather (Cyril) already removed.
Shop windows
displaying autographed pictures of Ava and Richard.
Still, it’s not easy to make a call to the States:
there’s only one line to LA.
But I don’t care. There’s nobody I want to call.
Only one streetlight that doesn’t work!
My landlady asks me to stay and manage the place.
Maxine makes Shannon the same offer.
He accepts. I don’t.

Puerto Vallarta, 1968