for dick clark

   when Chubby Checker twisted, I twisted.

   when Little Richard played the keyboard

   with one hand, I wanted a jelly-leg.

   since in my home pompadours were

   forbidden I taped painted newspaper

   on my forhead and sang

   with pretend microphones,

   my sister snickering, until

   7:30 Saturday night came

   and mom turned off the

   lights to save money.

 

   but when a stroke stuck his

   words together and his

   spank became more arboreal

   than elegant

   I still gave to

   him a Romans sovereignty

   and Astrol's power.

Reviews

[r. f. jordan]

i was just obliterated by this. this was me running along the pretty sand of your first stanza, and then having a giant squid tentacle me to @ 4000 foot depth, a moment later, in the second. wish we could all see the stars as he did, come to think of it part of this poem's point might be that he made it possible for us to. this is a deepening piece linking rock and roll to Virgil. Thank you.

[Michael G.]

Well said, sir. He brought much to this world and he gave it all to us to share.

[Leslie Philibert]

Fine, very elegant tribute to an American T.V star, unfortunatly not known so well here,but I noticed his death was widely reported in the English- speaking media.
Fine poem, liked very much the very visual my sister snickering ( a great word) and the slight change of mood in the last stanza, good work.