old guy's anniversary poem

If this long after, I got my motorcycle back
and the hippie communes and the parties all weekend long came back
and really great music started coming over the radio again
that would be just dandy

If this long after, the drug dealer was packing
an acoustic guitar
and forced me to harmonize with him
while he played folksongs
that would be really cool

If this long after, the President had to vamoose on the helicopter

and go away forever
the Attorney General went to federal prison
and 20 assorted White House dickheads went to federal prison
that would be totally awesome

If this long after, LSD came back

and sitar music while I stumbled around

and Time got all stretchy like a rubber band

and insights into What It's All About

flashed like the brilliance of a thousand suns

inside my head

and I routinely forgot them all the next morning

If this long after, embroidered bellbottoms came back

and paisley came back

and tie-dye came back

and long long hair came back

and smiles all day long came back

and laughing all night long

until the sun came up came back

and bras went away

If this long after, the city was as much fun

as the country and the woods and the mountains and the seashore again

that would be rad phat bitchin

But it's this long after, and all that's back

is this war


20 March 2007 / 4th anniversary of start of Iraq War
Copyright (c) 2007 by Robert Merkin, All Rights Reserved