Wednesday, November 21, 2012

A Poem for Wednesday

Occasionally, when I'm in a certain mood, I'll wander online in search of poetry that speaks to me. It was on a recent walkabout that I came upon a piece by an author I've read before, but who hasn't done anything meaningful in way too long. It's a bit rough, but it's raw and honest. Hope you enjoy.


Growing up on the mean streets of North Brunswick, New Jersey made Dave a hard man. 
He bore the scars of serious playground beat-downs when he went 
and bummed a ride in an IROC-Z and rode south to liberal arts college. 
He stood out a bit down there for his love of The Cult, Judas Priest, and the Eagles. 
He hated the very mention of mayonnaise on an Italian sub, 
and the southern genteel boys knew never to bring it up. 
Otherwise, Dave might lose it on them by drinking a bunch of Milwaukee's Best, turning red, 
and sleeping on the cold, cold porcelain of the third floor men's room commode. 
The cold reminded him of the cold world in New Jersey he'd left far behind for the greener pastures of Virginia, 
a pastoral new setting where he could invent a dweeby game called The Disc Game 
where participants guessed which song among six compact discs on the hi-fi would come up next, 
and correct guesses got your name proudly and dorkily displayed in permanent marker on the dorm room wall, 
a stark contrast to the years of hiding his geekiness on the rough hopscotch asphalt of Jersey. 

Similarly, there were streaking episodes in college -- 
and not just for the well hung members of the glorified Physics Club Dave ran with in Williamsburg; 
rather, he and his cohorts appeared to be a parade of Irish late bloomers in very cold weather 30 seconds after intercourse in a pool who'd just been presented with a photo of gay porn and gore. 
It was liberating, and Dave tasted sweet, sweet freedom. 
It tasted like Nino's Pizza, but without the serious beat-downs if you ordered veggies on it. 
Dave spent four years frolicking among the meadows of nerdy Colonial Virginia, 
slowly letting the memories of his closeted dorky childhood fade, biding his time 
until he could return to the Garden State a full-fledged adult no longer vulnerable to playground beat-downs, 
if only because he rarely frequented playgrounds (after the citation). 

Later, however, after kids, he began making his way back to some of those same old childhood haunts, 
those same mean streets jungle gyms where the beat-downs had occurred, 
and as he watched his own son display the same penchant for nerdiness that he'd experienced -- 
but be able to shout it from the swingset-tops without fear of serious beat-down, Dave was happy. 
The world was indeed a better place, as Jackie DeShannon predicted in Top 40 song so long ago. 
But deep down, Dave also felt a twinge of bitterness. 
Why should his progeny escape the beat-downs he lived in fear of, and would it make them weaker adults? 

Like Asia sang, only time will tell.

46 comments:

zman said...

Why does everyone hate on the IROC?

Dave said...

we are going up to vermont to do thanksgiving with rob and tammy -- he will really enjoy this lovely "poem" and the nostalgic memories of streaking monroe dorm . . .

Danimal said...

IROC is tight.
back in the day there used to be an IROC in incester with the vanity plates - IROC YA.
Get some of that bitches.

Clarence said...

We drove eight hundred miles without seeing a cop
We got rock and roll music blasting off the T-top


Naturally, poetry involving the T-top could only come from Springsteen.

Clarence said...

And Z, I don't exactly know why, since the Trans Am, Firebird, Corvette, and 280ZX could all feature owners just as cheesy, feathered, and meshed, but there's just something about the IROC, Z.

rob said...

dude finds the time to write 450 words in the comments sections of a blog, but can't be bothered to write anything in his own blog. artists, man, they're fucked up.

zman said...

Don't forget the Probe, Eclipse/Laser/Talon, 240SX, Mustang, Integra, or GNX. Or even lesser Camaros like the Berlinetta or Z28. Lots of cheesy iron out there in the tri-state area.

Clarence said...

I think Dream Weaver drove a Probe. And the Z28 was four wheels of cheese looking for a spreader.

rob said...

tonight at 8 on nfl network: 'john riggins: a football life'. get some.

rob said...

tribe hosts miami (ohio) at 7 tonight on nbcsports network. get some of that, too.

Danimal said...

you're going to want to set the vcr machines for that.

Dave said...

oddly appropriate wheatus lyrics . . . for both clarence and the topic at hand.

Her name is Noelle
I have a dream about her
She rings my bell
I got gym class in half an hour
Oh how she rocks
In Keds and tube socks

Her boyfriend's a dick
And he brings a gun to school
And he'd simply kick
My ass if he knew the truth
He lives on my block
And he drives an Iroc

zman said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_JwpjrDemA

rob said...

the hampton roads bridge tunnel sucks. but you already knew that.

Squeaky said...

The Probe was not in the same league of any of those other cars. It was a piece of shit. I know I drove one.

Yeeehawww!

Clarence said...

Rob, is the HRBT already jammed up? I'm still at work across the water from home.

rob said...

accident in the tunnel, c. cleared up now.

rob said...

tribe are 7(!) point favorites tonight. respect.

T.J. said...

IROC Poetry Jam Wednesdays >> Winless Wizards Wednesdays

Danimal said...

just ran into some blue cheese stuffed olives at the store. danimal will be having a vodker drink or two when he enters his home. purchased some beers and vino as well. 'tis the season.

rob said...

at lunch at a great little local seafood shack in virginia beach. family sits down next to us - mom and dad, mid-late 40s, covered in tats, as is older son. and when i mean covered, dad's dome was tattooed with the image of a brain. only space above his neck not inked was his face. my kids couldn't stop staring. life lesson time.

zman said...

Simmons is stealing my shit in today's mailbag. His summary of Agassi's career seemed a little familiar, but this is a bridge too far:

SG: Crap, I jumped the gun. Here's the big question, though: Which remaining game will the Chiefs stupidly win to screw up their stranglehold on the no. 1 overall pick? The three most likely candidates: home for 2-8 Carolina (Week 13), at 2-8 Cleveland (Week 14) and at 3-7 Oakland (Week 15). Who else is fired up for that Chiefs-Browns matchup? It's the Self-Loathing Super Bowl!

rob said...

just been informed there's a family dinner commencing during the tribe game. nonplussed.

Clarence said...

Rob, at least you won't be missing your favorite team playing football during Thanksgiving dinner, like many Redskins fans. Enjoy your stupid 5-5 Saints.

Clarence said...

And which VB Seafood Shack? Tautog's? Doc Taylor's? Phil's? Waterman's?

rob said...

margie & ray's in sandbridge

rob said...

gonna drive half an hour to eat shitty mexican food to make my in laws happy. america, fuck yeah.

Danimal said...

There is a David Geffen bio running on pbs that is really good. Quite a story.

mayhugh said...

Tribe-Redhawks first half was a clinic in missing layups.

Mark said...

Teach your kids tolerance, Rob. I'll Skype with you guys so they can see Dad has freakish friends too, so they're okay and all that.

Mark said...

Clarence- Do your Thanksgiving dinners last 3 hours? If not, I think you'll be able to watch most of your shitty Skins against the shitty Cowboys.

rob said...

man, miami and the points was easy money

zman said...

Macho Camacho got shot in the face? And he's still barely alive? Jesus.

Mark said...

Face and neck in a drive by. Said to be brain dead.

Also, how did I not hear about this Chamique Holdsclaw/Jennifer Lacy story until just now?

rob said...

yeah, that one's a doozy

TR said...

This OKC-Clippers game is quite entertaining.

TR said...

So let me get this straight. There's a Jager commercial featuring Keyshawn Johnson, Slayer guitarist Kerry King and a rodeo clown? Awesome.

Mark said...

Yes there is TR. Yes there is.

TR said...

Any idea who the other dudes are?

rob said...

oh, wizards

TR said...

Vince Carter, Stackhouse and Sheed are all still valuable conteibutors in the NBA. Eric Montross, not so much.

Mark said...

Trey Ziegler looks nothing like what I thought Trey Ziegler would look like.

Mark said...

On the other hand, Roosevelt Jones looks very much like I I thought Roosevelt Jones would look like.

rob said...

my sister in law came at me in scrabble. brought a knife to a gunfight.

Mark said...

And now your night was worth it.

zman said...

Whoa. Are we talking scrabble smack?