L’Chaim
(To Channa)
We shared scalding mushroom and barley soup at Ratners
that frozen windy
2 AM January night
2nd Avenue Manhattan
Carlos Santana at the Fillmore,
and never forgot one another
for right now.
We rode our squeaky green red bikes
baseball cards flapping in the spokes
through Beach 28th St
Rockaway alleyways,
squeezeways,
all those sweaty teenage summer nights
dodging Yiddish whistles
dripping cherry ice pops
desperately chasing each other hysterical
not caring to catch each other
till right now.
We always dreamed about inspiration.
You painted watercolor photographs
I wrote photographic image poetry
there on Tinker Street
summer of ‘69,
and we both never showed up
for our exhibit together
our dance together
till right now.
Why had I not ever thought much about your history,
Jewish woman?
Timeless Matriarchal Visionaries
Rachel or Rebecca
multicolored Rust woman,
and then my fire paintings burned
rekindling those historic connections,
while just your memory
satisfied
my unrequited longing
till right now.
For right now,
here,
for this dream we have survived,
to accompany the Joy of our children
we have survived,
to collect the ashes from our countless infinite ancestors
somehow kept alive
to begin again
reborn for this moment,
we have survived...
to embrace a little dignity...
to Cultivate prophetic dreams
symbiotic highway visions
the laughter of hip tradition
the tears and bitter herbs of old and lost rivers.
And that loving inspiration
your French sister passed on to you
like an eternal candle
that has waited patiently to be rekindled,
now
comes back again,
precious Blue White Light,
and we meet once more
reunited this time around
by a certain
familiar
radiant star.
11/15/03