Saturday, December 14, 2013

THE APARTMENT


(ODE TO HOLLY VAN VOAST)

Downtown uptown crosstown, she was the cause
From the midst of demonstrative luggage,
Holly GoRightly and the sexy figure
she took Quite Unlikey

And we of the Bronx Not Nicely
Her topless parades often
The Power of one not letting her shirt stay on
She was the cause, uptown crosstown downtown


w/  the Bodega Bunnies 


Monday, October 28, 2013

magically delicious

I saw the rock star afar
looking at tapes in the record store.
He was crouched down low
and his pants pulled to the crack in his ass;
he had soft baby pink skin
and I thought, “that can’t be him;
he should be much taller
 and maybe kind of meaner.”
‘Scuse me if I seem a bit anesthetized
so much in my cloud to say “hi” to Lou,
because I just realized
that when you’re face to face with Lou Reed’s butt,
it could only bring you luck.
Face to face those cheeks to cheeks,
Hey, Lou Reed’s butt!  What luck!

-1981 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lou Reed's "Street Hassle," a poem-song.

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Emerson Leighton and Palmer


(To John Wilcox)


Ralph waddled through the moat into my mansion
"O' dear Lady, they call you a circus clown,"
"Hello darling, lalalala shrug, la-didah put us down
Sound off their design, their fugue of a feud
La la bless their assumed positions,
those minions of non-competition."



Friday, February 1, 2013

Unfolding

"Is it who folded the universe
that matters
or how I would open it...."

There's a zen when you're in the life of your art that helps you find gigs, and other cool things that sustain your art. It really comes into play when you communicate with folks.

I decided in order to promote THE LEIGHTON EXPLOSION that I'd go on a trip down memory lane, and reconnect with old friends--people who saw me working in radio, on TV, in magazines, with bands, journalists, friends from college and high school.

It's kismet as I'm making these calls, because I'm also hearing from other folks who've been in my thoughts through the years. It's really just part of life to be connected with people from the past, present, and even the future.

When I posted about this Kickstarter campaign on my Facebook, Cornelius Eady asked me about it. He's always been in my mind as a great poet, understanding his own voice and being respected by both Academia and the Outlaw communities. But more so, he's had a wide musical influence in his work, so it felt so natural when he told me he also works with musicians.

"Let's do a show!" I said, even though I had initially planned to start gigging in the fall. I thought it'd be a big production! (Well, Yes and no... that's gonna be another story or two or three!)

As soon as Cornelius said he wanted to do a show w/ me late March/early April, I e-mailed my musician friend Jim Gibson (who was in Tooth Fairy, a band BBC's late great DJ John Peel loved).

Tonight, as I told another publicist about my campaign, she said to contact a poet she knew, that also had rock & roll roots. And then another friend told me to write to someone who booked poets AND folk singers in his market...

Click This Sentence To See This Essay On My Kickstarter Page:

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Water Boy

(Rewrites of the Rites of Spring)

Pay attention to the nice things people say about you
Write 'em down on tossed cigarette boxes
Struggling…

Ends meet and go through the meat grinder
Will I hear my drowning spiral?
Now? No.

Am I passing through the edges, bumping in the maze
Do I need healing or relaxing?
Lax? Me?

I saw the Water boy sweating
on a hot day, drinking water,
he didn't hurt himself with wine
He did talk with himself

By fall we reached the Water Boy,
didn't drink, smoke or fend for himself.
I bought him socks
A Christian brought him foods

I hope no one hollered at him
Someone stole from him
Everything—clothes and writings—
his thoughts dragged off cigarette boxes.

I made it through the winter
with thoughts now on candy boxes
letters, numbers...

I see a cream-colored cat on a high fence
Can you save her from the barbed wire?
In the rain? I tried.

All I could do was give her a name: Barbie
Barbie fed by a cute cat lady of 80
who was frightened the kitty would fall
I said I'd save her, but she disappeared.

My Water Boy had a Texas accent
People thought he had a mental illness
He was subject to being stolen from, and humbled
to sit on a park bench 'til he followed Barbie away.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Baby, You’re The Greatest

Subways don’t get me to work on time,
so my mate shouts me up,
“Don’t you make the unemployment line
get up! Get out in the cold, cruel world.
Do your job, girl.
Do it now, dude.”

Do! Do! Doobie doobie do!
I do it for me, I do it for you!
I do it for bread, I do it for food
for me-- for you
‘cause you are the greatest,
baby, you’re the greatest!

The bus just suits me fine,
the driver’s smiling and thinking;
He’s working for his bride
whose earning for his dreams.
Think big! Think about your lifelines,
do your thing, girl.
Do it good, dude.

When the traffic is crammed
I pray for a day between us
when the sun shines and the rain falls
and I see you in my eyes
so beautiful to me--
baby, baby, baby
you are the greatest.

Do! Do! Doobie doobie do!
I do it for me, I do it for you!
I do it for bread, I do it for food
for me--for you
‘cause you are the greatest,
baby, you’re the greatest!