Monday, May 3, 2010

Pick It Up, Pick It Up

Holy speed of the trumpets, I'm happy, too happy to study, too outrageous to memorize. This time last year I was breaking free; this time this year I'm looking to escape. She's got the worst grating voice and plays no part in folk tradition, lazy what-do-I-care, lazy wordless space-waste — piece of paper and I'm gone, headphones onnn-nn-nnn.

Isabel's wasting time too, taking quizzes, finding out her flaw is "hippie". Girl never! I'm gonna remember what you told me, remember that you for one are not glossy and impossible. Youth of today, remember how goddamn good Simon & Garfunkel were, remember to sing with me when I fly between the terminal abbreviations of some air line been traced on paper.

Continue apace — this is the sound, the place, the breakdown when it comes together again. The words are there, but there's never quite the will. I wish I'd spent all day in bed with friends long before now, but as long as time's closing in we'll have to blow the parish. Little girl in the library can book a ticket to anywhere, but can't remember just what social norms used to be, if we're flirting or making friends.

I love Jesse, but sometime tells me two weeks of New Jersey will be enough for now; New York City, I'll love you hard but you've already let me down. New Orleans, maybe one day you'll be good to me, but sh-sh-Chicawwgo you got what I need even if. Call me back Paul, because talking to Illinoisans is good for the soul. The return to to family life and Baptist ministry is gonna make me pray for hell, but come over when God isn't looking and we'll booze and play records and generally tear it up.
Gee but it's great to be back home
Home is where I want to be.
I've been on the road so long my friend,
And if you came along
I know you couldn't disagree.

It's the same old story,
Everywhere I go,
I get slandered! — libeled!,
I hear words I never heard in the Bible
And I'm on step ahead of the shoe shine,
Two steps away from the county line,
Just trying to keep my customers satisfied,
Satisfied.

- Simon & Garfunkel, "Keep the Customer Satisfied"

2 comments:

  1. Can we tear it up in the general sense soon? I'm home May 13th.

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  2. "We'll booze and play records and generally tear it up."- Anna. How..? A.) You don't drink/or don't share my infatuation for fine whiskey/Scotch (apparently..) B.) Your record player is missing a receiver (the thing those red/white cables go into, that you were wondering about a while back) and C.) the last time I "generally tore it up" in the Honda H22 you, Ellen, Ophelia and David were colorless (or more so..) in the face. Just saying... P.S. I may run into you at the Caribou show since Cheri, Emma, David, and everyone I know is dragging me there.. Sadly. See you then, if you're in town.

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