Havana

[dukealien]

Havana,


A worn-out diva dressed to look fine,
still on the stage
but forgetting her lines.

A ’56 Chevy made to look new,
running quite well
‘till the head gasket blew

A mural of Che in his beret,
waving his fist,
slowly fading away

Crumbling facades on tired avenues
and unpaved streets
where the kids have no shoes,

Somewhere a horn is blowing the blues

In basic critique, I have to say that this captured the spirit of present-day Havana beautifully.  That is, I read the title and everything fit (except that, traditionally, the car would be constructed from parts of several years' and several manufacturers' products).

The rhyme scheme is simple, and doesn't get in the way; following it through in the last line is almost too much, a little too sweet for purpose.

Nitpicks:  it's  'til  (no second L) unless you're trying to drag it out ("tillllll.....") which you're not, there.

Here's an idea:  move "Havana" down from title to after the last line, letting the reader decode the place from the description before confirming it.  You'd need a new title, though, something suggesting frozen or abandoned in time.