Friday, March 18, 2016

Where Does It Start

I have a huge collection of old songs.
Asked to name them I'd fail.
But given two notes, or a word from the title
I might, to your distress, sing all of "Alice's Restaurant".

Recollections own my consciousness.
A piece of rye-bread invites
The neighborhood Brooklyn deli
And the taste of strong mustard.

"Don't ask" carries me to "ask not"
And Kennedy's inauguration speech.
From there it jumps to an infinite series of connections
Until all synapses are energized.

Perhaps there is only memory,
Distorted so that we may endure its repetition,
Apply its message to this moment,
And so respond to our universe.

Of course we might devote our life
To a continual quest to prove
Our superiority to Morty Frumberg,
Or to getting mother's approval.


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