YOUNG BLOOD'S SONG AND THE MUSIC

i'm jealous
jealous
only the way an old man can be

am i really old?
does my throat not sing song
is the city dead to me

the lower east side

the upper west side
      columbia
the west end cafe (they say its name
is gone) where ginsberg and mark rudd
and keruoac and that pretty movie actress
used to be

and bill wertheim
and his sexy girl up there on 125th

i was there!
a brief time
before the world caved in
but i was there!!

with fritz the bartender i was crazy about
but too timid to make a move
fritz the beauty who studied in clown
school in dc

fritz who came out of my brother's
bedroom and my heart dropped

fritz fucked my big brother
and all i could do was walk away
like a rejected dog

i was there
jose venegas and me on the columbia campus
high as kites looking up at the black heavens
stars too numerous for my imagination to
figure out

          jose saved my life when i sold paper
                flowers in the village and the spanish
              boys wanted to kick my ass
               
but young blood is there now!
not then
                  now!

                lennie tristano plays the keys
               only the way an old italian can
                       play the keys
             

rich quatrone may 17 2012