from the back of a western pickup
they bopped along
they bopped along
considerin each other’s bare feet,
considerin each other’s bare feet,
sweet Sangre de Christo July sweat moist from haying,
sweet Sangre de Christo July sweat moist from haying,
listenin to scratchy Howlin Wolf tapes,
listenin to scratchy Howlin Wolf tapes,
cut alfalfa deliciously lifting them into the air,
cut alfalfa deliciously lifting them into the air,
Santa Fe Trail sky sprinkled with galaxies
Santa Fe Trail sky sprinkled with galaxies
extraterrestrial bebop expressionist lightshow movement,
extraterrestrial bebop expressionist lightshow movement,
and from somewhere Sonny commentin on the stillness of that night,
and from somewhere Sonny commentin on the stillness of that night,
then his giggled response
then his giggled response
sendin her long spidery fingers
sendin her long spidery fingers
deep inside her tight backpockets for a pack of Juicy Fruit,
deep inside her tight backpockets for a pack of Juicy Fruit,
and soon the sugar hit,
and soon the sugar hit,
and Howlin Wolf’s blues guitar became Gilmour’s “Comfortably Numb”,
and Howlin Wolf’s blues guitar became Gilmour’s “Comfortably Numb”,
and they sure nough got up to dance,
and they sure nough got up to dance,
and with another sunrise comin on
and with another sunrise comin on
sleep now irrelevant,
sleep now irrelevant,
they kicked aside the sleeping bags
they kicked aside the sleeping bags
all rolled up like their buckskin dreams,
all rolled up like their buckskin dreams,
jus bouncin along
jus bouncin along
from the back of a pickup
from the back of a pickup
Fall, 2011
(recalling that summer in Bemidji, Minnesota, 1972)