~
Holding court at the Zanzibar,
they looked on good nights
like Egyptian Queens, like Ancient Babylonians.

On not so good nights,
they resembled Brassaï's Moma Bijou -
"fugitives from Baudelaire's bad dreams",
and even then they looked magnificent.

Identity wasn't something you nailed
yourself into in late adolescence.
It was a trick of the light,
and if you were to avoid
burning yourself out,
then you simply let the flames
lick over you
and turned the ashes into kohl.
~

A weeping willow
weeps for me

it wipes the ground
and washes my feet

a canary sings a chirpy
little tune

that might be melancholy
if I let it

but time is too short
it was the last thing

you had to teach
me

Pershing square
Big Jesus Saves neon sign
Shoulda been as famous as the
Hollywoodland sign.

It was up high.
Six stories maybe,
Dwarfed by the ARCO mirrors today
But respectable tall in an earthquake,
Saint Andreas's fault, they said,
Back then.
That was old L.A.
Before malls in the valley, ya know.
L.A. had basement bars
Like on tv back east in old gangster times
Walk along the avenue
Fifth avenue
Struttin' up
The north edge o'the war hero park.
Always hope.
Big Jesus saves neon sign,
Easy to see comin up them
Basement bar stairs at night, but
Daylight, you didn’t notice as much.
That was old L.A.
Smog and Schwabs
Drugstore on the corner
Crescent Heights and Sunset
Up in Hollywood land but
Still old L.A.
Somebody famous got discovered there
I don't think I ever heard who it was
Probably has foot prints at Grauman's and a star
On the boulevard but
I would not know it
If I saw it.

Won't you even try?

Brussels sprouts are tired
of taking the blame!

So are artichokes, radishes
and beets!

Kids around the world are giving
them a bad name!

It's embarrassing to be left
on a plate as dinner time spectacles!

You're not gonna die!

But keep it up, kiddo, and we'll have quite
a mob of steamed vegetables!