Thoughts Years Ago After Seeing Clive James On TV

Some turn to God and a church to join ---
Others worship Chance, the flip of a coin.

Religion and gambling? The breaking news
Is how each one has their own set of pews.

One trusts that life is just how He planned it,
The other has faith in the one-armed bandit.

Where does your spare change go of late:
In a slot machine or on a collection plate?

November 22, 1963

Bulletin

Is dead. Is dead. How all

The radios sound the same.
That static is our seed.
Is dead. We heard. Again.

We peck at the words like bran
Strung on a string of air.
Is dead. Again. Is dead.
Too rhythmic for despair.

Our faces are all the same,
Learning to taste the word.
Lockjawed with awkwardness.
Is dead. We know. We heard.

--- Chana Faerstein

*

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chana_Bloch

What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been (1941-2019)

I’m sure many people later on
Were so jealous he
In 1962 at Stanford was given
Free doses of LSD.

This guy’s sugar cube sugar daddy
I need right here to say
Was this research project that was
Sponsored by the CIA.

Did volunteering in this program
Ruin him? Make him stressful?
Hard to say but his solo attempt
At singing was unsuccessful.

Did he wind up a Sixties casualty and
Fall tragically by the wayside?
A forgotten musical B-side who never
Managed to have an A-side?

Actually, his songwriting took off:
He became a true sensation
As many of the songs he penned
Helped defined his generation.

I know that you know some of them
(This is all on the level)
Like “Uncle John’s Band,” “Truckin’”
And “Friend of the Devil.”

The CIA made him psychedelic. I know
They have conflicted loyalties
But are they maybe entitled to some of
His songwriting royalties?

That’s for others to debate and decide
And all that now needs to be said
About Robert Hunter, the main writer
Of lyrics for The Grateful Dead.

A Cure For Autism

It may sound a bit absurd
This info that you’ve never heard
All comes down to just one word:
Acceptance.

For this child, you had dreamed
In your eyes, his future gleamed
Who cares if he’s not mainstreamed?
Acceptance.

Embrace each and every shortcoming
Even with repetition numbing
Even if he wreaks havoc with your plumbing
Acceptance.

Be a bright light full of praise
Especially on the darkest days
Despite knowing it’s not just a phase
Acceptance.

If you can’t acknowledge his worth
You’re just taking up space on earth
Have you been without flaws since birth?
Acceptance.

Be his loud and biggest supporter
Be the pestle to his mortar
Don’t give his doubters any quarter
Acceptance.

Don’t hide the fact of his condition
Speaking up is your major mission
Make it a new family tradition
Acceptance.

Your patience daily you learn to ration
Some days your chips you want to cash in
Remember these kids teach us compassion
Acceptance.

Write the future not in ink but chalk
At science breakthroughs do not balk
But until we find our Jonas Salk
Acceptance.

Swimming with dolphins is a lure
Or some soy-based diet, sure,
Do your best but don’t obscure
Acceptance now is the only cure.

 

The Cutoff Point

 

While he was asleep, Lorena Bobbitt

Sliced off her husband’s penis, went

For a drive and then tossed it out the

Window like it was a flyer that she’d

Found under her windshield wiper

For teeth whitening or rug cleaning.

In court, Lorena claimed John Wayne

Bobbitt persistently denied her any

Orgasms. I’d hoped the fallout would

Be husbands with unsatisfied wives

Would overnight become the most

Attentive lovers. No such luck.

*

“The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour” was on

Then. I sensed that Robert MacNeil hated

This story and desperately wanted no part

Of it. But the following year, 1993, when

The verdict in this case was finally going

To be announced, MacNeil had to mention

This because the Bobbits had found a way

To become legitimately newsworthy. He

Did the wrap-up on world events and then

Brought up the end of this controversial

Trial. I wondered exactly how he would

Convey the various sordid details. The wall

Behind MacNeil now was suddenly like this

Enormous dam with multiple visible cracks

And water beginning to leak out. Still, he

Single-handedly attempted to keep it in

Place and prevent the coarsening of the

Culture and harm to all things decent and 


Proper. “Lorena Bobbitt was found not
Guilty of ‘malicious wounding’ against

Her husband for severing his … payniss.”

MacNeil elected to mispronounce the

Offending word to make it seem genteel.

But the dam broke anyway as cable TV

And talk radio and O.J and Fox News and

The internet would soon wash away all of

The decorum that PBS and their flagship

News show had fondly cherished. Looking

Back, it was inevitable but I now can see

MacNeil bravely attempting to stop the tide

Like some Canuck King Canute and despite

All of my mockery back then, I now salute

Him for giving it the old college try.