drifter | Old Timer Chronicle I

After my affair with Mr. Lizard so charming

I fell in love with Freddie the Fly so disarming

he was buzzing all around just wantin’ to die

but I just couldn’t kill ’em, I don’t know why

I had him under my thumb, but I let him go

then I caught him in my hand & opened it up real slow

for a moment only his head was peeking out

his two big eyes and his cute little pout

Then I climbed up the truck & layed down on the roof

I was fallin’ in love with everything but I had no proof

I tried to feel bitter & alone but didn’t get very far

‘cuz as day turned to night I fell for sweet Suzie Star

Moods will work you up and down and all around

before you know it you’re insane and unsound

they’ll yank you this way & yank you that way

before you know it, the White Coats are dragging you away

God’s creatures are all creeping up slowly on me

before long I’ll be slow-dancing with Flunky The Flee

I just hope that if I step on Rattle The Snake

he doesn’t mind if I also bake him a birthday cake

…

rawclyde

(Copyright Clyde Collins 1999)

VALLEY OF DEMOCRACY NO. 12

rawclyde

Strolling around on the creosote plains of forever

crunching dry turf, snapping dry twigs in my endeavor

to be swallowed up by the desolation and pure blue sky

of this stark land that, like a homerun, hits me in thee eye

I’m no cowboy chasing cattle nor an Indian planting corn

I’m just the strolling aftermath seeking to be reborn

dead ashes of a camper’s campfire melting into the grit

the wink of a motionless lizard just before she up n’ split

The wind plays a tune upon the piano of my fear

that thee American Dream has left me alone standing here

wondering why it doesn’t seem worth pursuing anymore

such a pretty thing & such an expensive whore

Well, be it as it may, a swift tiny jet way up, way up there

has a big rumble that the pilot is oh so willing to share

with the lone drifter drifting in the creosote bush way way down below

i crink my neck and spot the jet and wave, “hello hello hello!”

…

from a love song to the american lizard

Old Timer Chronicle I