The Girls on F Street

The dark specter of the harsh night

is invaded by the flickering of the gaslight

as it struggles to survive

the cold, bloodcurdling blasts of the night winds.

The eerie sounds of sirens and the train

echoes throughout the city's domain...

notifying an uncaring, slumbering jungle

of its unwelcome return.

Issuing forth from the distant lighted window

that now merges into eerie...

you will at once bear witness to...

well... shall we see for ourselves?

No matter how low a man's life has sunk

there is still hope for him

if he can still look down into the gutter

and still locate

a fresh, smoldering butt.

I suppose you could say there are two ways of looking at everything.

You are certainly entitled to your own opinion.

Join us, won't you, on the concrete street

of rejection and regression...

where loneliness and despair

mock and ridicule each faltering step...

until we finally arrive at the

empty haven of unrewarded joy

of an unrewarded peak.

Or should I say, peep.

The stuttering, gleaming lights

bring to predominance in the city's night jungle...

where the occurring bedevilments of man's ills continue

while the bleats and wails attempt

to overcome all else.

Caged and secluded

meek, passive like a wild cat

that is slowly being consumed

with the basic urge of lust and overpowering passion

the desperate, driving need for a woman racks his brain.

Where can he go to satisfy

this raging force building within him...

that threatens to erupt as a volcano

about to explode its guts out?

With the grace of a prenup ballerina

she flits about the stage

practicing her art.

Despite it all, without too much effort on her part

is able to arouse innate desire...

lust... passion.

When you're in Rome, buddy Joe

Sure you do.

He always had trouble getting women.

He never could figure out how he got to know Margot.

You remember her?

Of course you do.

How could you possibly forget?

Do you recall when Joe went to see her for

the last time?

And we're not gonna have all these dogs here.

That dog has to go. And we're not gonna have all these dogs here.

That dog has to go.

Hey, don't I know you?

Oh no, I don't think so.

I doubt we frequent the same establishments.

Yeah.

You look like that creep

who lives down by the store with his old lady.

Yeah, you're the one. I've seen you before.

You and that mother of yours.

She'd like to get my ass slammed in the can.

I can't stand her, the way she looks.

I don't know, you'd better go.

Who the hell needs all the trouble you'd be?

Oh no, I'm...

I'm sure you're mistaken.

My mother doesn't even know you.

I've seen you, that's true...

You're something to look at.

Well...

Uh, this... where you live... You live here too?

Well, what the hell do you think?

What do you expect? Some fancy boudoir or something?

Listen buster

I know broads who work with a bed and a bucket.

At least I got a chair. Sit down.

Uh, I'd rather stand if you don't mind.

The hell, you say...

Besides, have you ever tried...

Oh, I didn't mean...

That's not what I meant.

Certainly, if you wish, I'll sit.

Oh my, he's a slight one.

A regular, visiting fireman.

A big, buttered egg man, aren't you honey?

I have no need for your tawdry little witticisms.

I came here for something...

for something other than a conversation.

If I have to count off to a cheap...

What is it, honey?

There, that's better.

Don't get all hot and bothered.

At least wait until I'm ready.

And I'm not ready yet, are you?

Oh, I'm ready.

I've been ready for a long time.

You say you've seen me watch you...

I've watched you since you were a little girl in the...

school over in the other block.

I've grown old watching you.

I saw your body fill out

I saw your breasts develop

I saw that sensuous walk begin

and I saw you flaunting yourself at the boys and then the men.

I saw you make your first pickup.

And I hated you...

hated you for what you were doing to yourself and to me.

I wanted it to be me.

Ready?

I'm ready.

Hang on, mister, wait just a minute...

back off there.

Oh, I... I wasn't going to hurt you.

I just... I just wanted to talk.

I've seen you wearing less than you're wearing now.

I've seen the shadows of men fall across the window.

And I've wondered what you were...

talking about, if you talked and...

what went on up here.

Oh my god

he's one of those.

I suppose you wanna know

all the terrible things that happen up here.

Would you like if I tell you about the first one? Shall I?

You wanna know how it happened?

Everybody thinks it's young love...

Young love, hell...

Some dirty old man most of the time

that's who it was.

You like that, don't you?

First time, it was my mother's boyfriend.

That's who it was.

There's no need to adopt that attitude.

I've frightened you and I'm sorry.

It's just that... you asked me if I was ready and...

Hell mister, you didn't frighten me.

I've seen it all before.

It's just that... some guys are helpless unless you poke them along a little bit.

I thought you might be like that.

Okay, come on...

Well, if you'd rather not...

What do you mean, "if I'd rather not?"

You've taken all the poetry out of it, haven't you?

There's nothing left where your heart oughta be

but a cold cast development.

Mister, I've got a living to earn.

You're the living.

You wanna talk, we talk.

You wanna...

I wanna.

That's the way it is on Belmont Street.

You know I've watched you, you said you saw me...

Yeah, I've seen you once.

I saw you under the streetlight below my window.

You looked up.

In fact, you might be a peeper.

A peeper?

A... a window peeper?

No.

No, I'm... I'm no window peeper.

I'm a... a soul watcher, a...

a dreamer of faces.

I see a face like yours and...

I dream a soul to match your face

that lustful soul that is yours

and I dream that sensuous walk

that sudden, swift arch of your back when you turn a corner

these I dream, I grew old...

dreaming that face was mine.

And you, my dear, couldn't care less.

Oh, I've dreamed of brains to match that face too

full of wits, not cunning...

full of the joy of living and loving...

I see here a brain sick with the

the wasted years and yours...

You're as old as I am.

What kind of a slob are you?

You dirty bastard.

Do you know how long I have to listen to your drivel?

Do you know how fast I can turn a trick?

Man, I don't need to waste this much time on you.

You can't even get into bed.

Look at you. You're pathetic.

You're talking yourself out of the only move you've ever made

to get away from that old bag you live with, and act like a man.

And all you can do is talk.

Come on, take a look at what you're buying.

- Take a look! - But, I haven't any desire to...

Ha! That's good.

He admits he can't get a desire. Ha!

Well, you might at least let me finish what I was going to say...

Oh, I'm damned.

Why don't you finish what you came to do?