A quick poem off the top of my head

 

In the crew cut dawn of Panama

I remember the sweat pouring down my forehead to my back then legs as we stood for attention at the parade field waiting for the helicopters escort carrying General Westmoreland

to inspect our Division

We expected to be getting orders to go to Viet Nam that day

 

from this hot humid jungle paradise

but a very few of us didn't go that day

just 100 men out of 5000 did not go..

Why on my 60th birthday does this come to mind?

 

So many virgin men died in the jungles of south east asia

and I spared...

 

Spared to love and beloved?

Spared to write romance adventure?

HOPE, FAITH, TRUTH, LOVE

In the reflections of downtwon Soperton I saw my better half smiling...

Woodstock nation held in her hand

like a ripe plum,

The armys of freedom await her cry for Victory over oppression

Woman of Courage,

 my twin sister

 protect, honor, defend,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY,

TODAY DIANE AND I ARE JUST LOUNGING ARROUND

 IN THE OUTSIDE HAMMOCK

PLANTING IMPATIENTS,

 DRINKING RUM AND DIET COKES HAVING A QUIET DINNER AT HOME FOR TWO OF PRIME RIB, GARLIC MASHED POTATOES, CREAMED SPINACH, BRUSSLE SPROUTS, YORKSHIRE PUDDING

 AND THICK BEEF GRAVY-

carefully monitoring my diabetes with my bood testing kit.

WONDERING WHEN WE WILL MEET AT DIANES TIME SHARE FOR A GREAT VACATION TOGETHER. BAHAMAS, VEGAS, PUERTO RICO, CAN CUN WHEREVER ONLY 10,000 CHOICES, SLEEPS 8.

OR SOONER WITH JOHNNY Z AND SAMANTHA LEIGH AND DIANE AND MOM AND DAD AND CLAUDE AND HIS CREW ALL OF US SOMEWHERE PERHAPS YOUR NEW HOME WATCHING THE SUNRISE..

NO PLANS TODAY JUST LOUNGING AROUND

GETTING WASTED

AND DREAMING OF DAYS OF  BEING 40 YEARS OLD...

HAPPY 40TH !!!!!

LOVE YOU DEE

 

---

From: "D/G" <dgdore@telus.net>
To: "John C Simon" <emersonian74@hotmail.com>
Subject: happpy birthday
Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2007 22:51:44 -0700

I've been working on this poem for you, it's still not done but I wanted to show it to you now anyway.

I hope you have a really spectacular day. l love you. dd

 

 

 

Castor and Pollux

for Johnny

 

 

We’ve been brilliant Johnny, days gone by

singing or dancing leap-frogging our way down main st.

georgia on holiday a sudden parade of twins

 

clanking a piggledy wiggledy cart

past the jailhouse jailbirds in orange

jump-suits craning, them not us,

through barbed wire at the spectacle of old

twins up one curb and down another

what were we carrying? canned collard greens

corn bread mix, beads & chatter & we took

pictures of everything, pawn shops &

flags us not them confederate

like kids again,

like didn’t you feel that quicksilver

Johnny that dropping away of, that... what... like

indifference finally & again putting our ears down to hear

rice crispies popping

like Woodstock like good mud

 

Never mind. We raked a lot of leaves

that day in Georgia. Pecan we put our white backs to it

to boot, bagged ‘em in plastic here’s to you

mr robinson and you looked awesome.

Lost 30 pounds on Atkins or South Beach

in your beach towel & worked like a bull

then slept for two days

on the strength of it, he’s still sleeping!

our nephews bounced on your belly

& yanked my hair

before mom had her heart thing.

You know the heart thing, that shudder.

 

We’ve been six before

& will be again  I swear I’ve screamed

 mommy! Johnny we got the same mouth

different portfolios.

 

You wrote that Russian slut book

I slummed through morocco

genes & blood. Kids who love us.

 

Remember Johnny that picture you

took of me in front of the pawn shop?

I never knew what framed me old towers

& blood the cotton gin, your reflection. I took

one of you Johnny before the flag the stars &

stripes &  you such a damn Yankee all those

dead kids doodle dandy  howdy doody

 

Tomorrow we turn 60. What you got?

I got a party & jug of frozen margarita

mix & just a little crepitus

in the old neck don’t you love

that word tequila  & you got a las vegas time share &

diabetes & now we’ve come to the elephants

 

cause  I’m thinking right now of Castor & Pollux

not the Gemini stars, which coincidentally we are

not the sons of Leda & the swan o staggering girl but

twin elephants cause twins are two both beautiful

greys full of lumber & grace silver brutes

who reigned in the Jardin des Plantes of Paris 1870

 

& I bet no one ever asked them if they

were identical like they asked us Johnny

all through elementary even though you’re a boy and I’m a girl

 

till the Prussians came how much you thirst

for a good invasion & a siege

& then the hunger came & the starvations followed

& they killed them Castor & Pollux the starving parisians did

lovely elephants killed, both & two eaten

 

& I wonder Johnny who broke first or if they broke together

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