On seeing an Elvis impersonator on the anniversary of his death August 16th 2009.

 

 

 

And I remember a violent pulling

of convulse, wrenching as of a body

paroxysm.

 

And there was a tossing

a turning, to and fro

with some air and savagery

 

untamed sha-green folk

etymology. Why else the

Colonel Parker ancestral

tumult

 

and Sun record shakily.

But I left confused by the hips.

The sound.

The stiff black

hair.

Reviews

[SHEEMA HUQ]

This abstract passage is utterly intriguing.... really. The drug and alcohol fuelled later life of Presley, his lifestyle and consumption patterns were, to my knowledge very well documented and publicised. This could have been an appraisal of his final performance in 1977, as the physical description included in your poem are so convincingly sad.

[Corset]

I was in love with Elvis as my mother was before me, lol. I had never seen her cry before that day they found him on his throne, great wailing sobs, and I've never seen her cry since. I have a love -hate relationship with Elvis.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

he was my hero when i was a little kid..i grew up with him, watched him the first time on Ed Sullivan...had all his singles, (my godparents always got them for me)..played them all to death as well as his first album..titled just Elvis..

there are impersonators..but only one Elvis..

it was so sad to see how he just destroyed himself those last years...but yes, no thanks to the people around him..

you depict through this impersonator, the destructive nature of what rock and roll fame can do to someone...

great poem.

[Jack V.]

Lol I like the perspective you took when writing this.

[Tree]

Wistful and stirring. And the poet does a fine job conveying that feeling, confusion; not exactly nostalgic, but maybe a little disappointed... I thought each stanza created a powerful bridge to the next, the first pulling this reader in, intrigued. And the 2nd and third just rolled right into that subtle, but powerful ending. You wrote: ''And there was a tossing / a turning, to and fro / with some air and savagery / untamed sha-green folk/ etymology...''

I thought, man, what Elvis did was nothing short of creating a brand new culture, borrowing, from those Tennessean and Southern 'blues'' folk, then making it his own... But something happened along this journey and some strange folks twisted it; but maybe that's what happens to every icon at some point ? An excellent piece, very thought provoking.

Oh dana, thanks for the feeling, thanks for speaking out just a brilliant moment of a moment....
I felt what you felt here. And if I sat there, I would silently wink at you ;) LOL for minds think alike :)

- Elisa

[Emily B]

my oldest daughter loved elvis as a child, she used to watch all the movies, point out his image at the peddler's mall . . . i'm sorry to say she grew out of that a little