boulderpoetryscene

I LOVE YOUR POEM!: Ira Liss on Hektor Munoz’s “El Ultimo Beso”

This is part of the “I LOVE YOUR POEM!” series, in which people submit on behalf of local poets whose work they admire and write about why they do. The idea is not only to highlight great work, especially from those who may not submit the work themselves, but also to create a big gushy lovefest in the community. If you’re interested in submitting on behalf of a local poet you love you can check out the submission guidelines here.

Héktor Munoz shares an intimate moment of nightlife in NYC’s Hell’s Kitchen, thriving and connecting within sparkling, hidden, smoke-filled spaces.

Héktor’s imagery, painted with his precise, concise words, shares a personal, interior moment – an evening, a night –  colored by nicotine, drugs and desire.

His vision of erotic romance, with touching, teasing, and flirting, may not have reached the ultimate embrace of our deepest wishes. And yet, his moment with Carlos, his “unicorn in tights,” feels sweet and joyful, while blazing with anticipation.

His closing line, “Creeps often into my dreams,” reminds us that moments we have with others, moments wished for, imagined, and sometimes made real, may forever live with fiery exuberance in our memories, desires and dreams.

I met Héktor about 27 years ago when he was a guest artist in a musical poetry show performed at the Bug Theater in Denver. More recently, I had the pleasure of working with him when he produced and directed a show with several poet/performing artists at the Mutiny Information Cafe, March 2023.

El Ultimo Beso

"EL ULTIMO BESO"
was the name of the smoked filled bar
A small, but intimate place
In Hell's Kitchen
Where I shared
A fourth floor walk up
An affordable two bedroom railroad apartment
Where you could sparkle
And live inside
Saturday night
There I met Carlos
A gorgeous Puerto Rican
With slicked hair and a big mustache
A hairy chest and a gold chain
Carlos was ready to love me but 
I didn't know he charged
"EL ULTIMO BESO"
now seemed like an Almodovar/Hitchcock
Film noir in Technicolor 
With a unicorn in tights

So instead we ordered some shots,
more beer and we danced all night
After the midnight performance featuring "Valeria"
80 year old lypsynching 
While wearing blonde
Farrah Fawcett hair

One night with Carlos, cocktails and weed
"EL ULTIMO BESO"
Creeps often into my dreams

-Héktor Munoz 
4/19/2023

Héktor Munoz – Poet. Green artist.

Ira Liss – Imrpoviser-artist. Writer. Musician.