How Can You Love-for Gil & Julia
How can you love in these
Ronald Reagan days in these
Wilson Goode Firestarter, Firestormer nights when murder is the latest urban sport
how can you dare love when life is a dare every second, on every street, from every mind
How can love be allowed how can love be alleged and not guilt-edged
in these days of AIDS
where any Isolde can make a Tristan
in these violent summer evenings
where death is all it’s crack ed up to be
in this city of dead babies where Peace has left
having gotten mugged in Suburban Station where any softness is crushed
won’t love be just another dead flower
to be uprooted by the
Rouse a Farians
prog ress prog ress
the Raferty farians
a sudden thought
can your union be dissolved
if the government doesn’t approve get me the Poet Regulations
page 123
Flowers
not ground and grown to dust
in the Graham and Heidnik of Philadelphia
that’s anti-blasphemous
anti-anti-Christ
These are not demon dreams
nor demon dreamers
this couple
who could not
dare not not be
lovers
even if loving
is the greatest risk of all
any lvoe to day
that dares to scream it’s name
I wish you both much applause
good reviews
and great Poetry
though I did tell Ms. Paula
not to see an omen and por tent
in all this
that married Poets
are as rare and felicitous as those comets of Haley and, besides,
the Poetry Regulations
prevent any other Philly Poets
getting married this year any short Philly Poets this decade
Bob Small-7/30/88-from 7/29/88
on the occasion of Gil Ott/Julie Blumenreich Wedding Reception at The Painted Bride. A present. An original Bob Small.
robertthesmall 