Wasted days and wasted nights -
Freddie Fender had it right
backstops and blacktops
and Leilani’s smile,
living on Cheetos,
red licorice and guile
Bruce was dancin’ in the dark
while we were drinkin’ in the park
pink pearls and the girls
at the volleyball games,
Ronny’s Chevette with the
spray painted flames
like broken gods in local myths
don’t believe me, ask The Smiths
study hall and basketball
and freshmen stuffed in lockers,
couldn’t back it up with much
but we were first-class talkers
Joey knew just what to do -
I wanna be sedated too
filmstrips and friendships,
that row in the back,
strollin’ in tardy and
blastin’ The Knack
makin’ out when we got bored,
kiss me deadly, Lita Ford
spitballs and shortfalls
we’d never confess,
the fever that rose
with the hem of her dress
Fishbone was skankin’ to the beat
while we snuck out and down the street
wizard bongs and Zepplin songs
and all we couldn’t know back then -
like what I wouldn’t give tonight
to see Leilani
smile again.
[the poetry bus poem that wasn't - or almost wasn't - or was just really late.]
10 comments:
Actually a piece of red licorice sounds pretty good right now. Nice piece.
Wizard bongs and Zeppelin songs! Haha! I love it. And I wanna be sedated. I stole my big brother's Ramones cd. My daughter stole mine. It's timeless, ain't it?
Strolling in tardy...yep, I did that, too. Actually, it was today for work. Some things never change.
Thanks for another good read, Joaquin. Much enjoyed!
It's official: I love Thursdays!!
There should be a 'like' button on here, just like Facebook! :)
Jane
As soon as I started reading this, I thought, "This should have been a Bus poem!" It's sooooo high school,and I mean that in a very good way!
I always feel the musicality in your poetry, but this one evokes your particular era and all its attendant images. You make a time and place your own, and this one is clearly your experience. The "backstops and blacktops", the "Cheetos" and "licorice" are tempered by an adult perspective that recognizes the "guile" (love that combination - red licorice and guile)and that you were "broken gods". No teenage angst here, just the way it was, and how much we'd all like to be able to go back to that one place and time and see our own Leilani again.
"makin’ out when we got bored,
kiss me deadly, Lita Ford"
How on earth do you come up with these??? I didn't knew the song, so just googled it hoping to find nothing and then asking you to share some details about that deadly kiss. ;) ;) But ah, well, this works just fine too. :D
Actually I came here to read more of your poems to "study" them, and write one my own today. It always helps. Thanks again for those most helpful tips. I always liked reading them, but I've truly begun to enjoy writing poetry now!
P.S.: Yesterdays xkcd was awesome, right? That guy can do everything! Poetry too!
"Bruce was dancin’ in the dark
while we were drinkin’ in the park"
I simply love the Iron Maiden reference. And all the other references too. God first you write a poem about science, then you write one about music and include all my favourite bands. I love your writing. More.
Love the reality groundedness of this, especially these lines:
"like broken gods in local myths
don’t believe me, ask The Smiths."
I listened to The Smiths nonstop in middle & high school, and have a soft spot for Morrissey...
This is brilliant, the spray painted flames, the freshmen stuffed in lockers, reminds me of a John Hughes film -- approachable, relatable in every good way.
We lived on early Zepplin, too, for a while...quite a kick, as is this poem! Wonderful universal theme here and commonality - we have all been "there". Timeless! :)))
willow - a piece of licorice always sounds good to me. thank you!
julie - so fitting for a ramones cd to be stolen through the family! thank you - better late than never, huh?
jane - thank you! i'll take your comment as a thumbs-up. :)
karen - see, i really did have one going! and yeah, it's pretty high school - which is ok, i guess. not exactly the glory days, but still days i wouldn't trade. thank you - and thanks for knocking this one loose. :)
aniket - yeah, sorry - it's a real song. thank you, though - you've got me excited to read your new poems now. :) and yeah - xkcd guy is genius. paradise city even!
swati - thank you - more to come. i very nearly promise.
terresa - i'm sure a lot of kids got/get through high school without the smiths - i'm just not sure how. thank you - john hughes?! wow. i'll take it!
k. - can't forget the zep - talk about timeless. thank you!
Excellent. And it's begging for a melody.
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