X Marks Many Spots

Anonymous living suits many
Gypsy fever of the brain

Seldom hiding in the shadows
the glare of klieg-light attention
forever glares upon responsibility
a disease to many
a growing malady for most
a welcome invitation to others

Even back then
at twenty
the waking age
at least for this X
a Midwest-ignoramus
a miscreant not even aware
experience was about
to render raw and tender the face

The vengeance proffered
gloriously fait accompli
needing not the klieg light focus
mere awakening
by simpler means
like...
like
a few beers
so liberating
so embarrassing

This '56 student of students
bathed in the drenching of
Kerouac
Baldwin
Miller
Bergman
Fellini
Truffaut
Godard
Kieslowski
Antonioni
damned near drowned
in flailing need to see
and survive

After all

This was education
totally missing
from cult religious dogma
noq offered in Aristitalian mode

So
here X was
always at the Plaza screens
or the Waverly
Saturday nights
lasting forever

X along with some buddy Y's and Z's
exited the art houses and made their way
oh yeah
to the Russian Tea Room

Black Russians
minimal water
more Black Russians
the world as we discovered it
not the world as professed here

There
in Italy
France
Poland
life was real
not caked over with candied syrup

Oh how we longed
to be part of it
make films

Great

But more important
discover what it was all about
life
that is

God

Those were times
magical times
where peeling away the facade
was so delicious
while we got wasted

Along about 2 AM

Columbus Circle Books
sit on the floor
thumb through 25 cent paperbacks
always a Nietzsche
a dog-eared Menninger
a used Baldwin
treasures we could afford

‘Course

We always saved enough
for the subway

X Y's and Z's hugged
kissed with manly chagrin
but
Hell
who'd we care was watching
we were happy
we were learning
we were happening

X dragged his weary ass up
the 4 flights
screws back in the light bulb
old man 4f always unscrewed
figuring no one's gonna rob
a dark floor

Simple shit

But
love him
to this day
he was wise
my first introduciton to street cred
in spite of his oldness

Next morning
Ah
Sunday New York Times
Espresso
Aspirin

Growing up
learning the hard way

Sublime