I was young
Ithought good sex, I mean, glorious all out sex
would save the world
Savenot only from devastation of war
but save the material of the planet
Iwas young and so was she
Wedropped and as dawn broke
slowly over coyote mountains
onto the Santa Claravalley
(Afterexperiencing ego dissimulation
reconstructing our personalities
with what was revealed
our son's name Cassidy Allen Jones)
Everysiren in San Jose started whining
Whatelse could we think other than
this is it
Thisis what we practiced pre-natal under our first
grade desks to survive
Weknew about the A-bomb and the N-bomb
and the Russians
Shegot on top
Thisis how we'd thwart the attack & destruction
and if it is truly Armageddon
Wewouldst die in the noblest position
Hugefog horns in the bay
Giganticsteel hull rising
Horsesgalloping in the orchards
Fruitfermented, birds slurring their trills
Wormslike spaghetti in the meat ball
composting soil
Themoon glistening between
two smooth Eucalypti
Thefecund sperm smell of the redwoods
of the Santa Cruz in spring
wafting through thewindow
that mirrors the morn'sBaroque score
emanating from springs
of the marriage mattress
Everyancestor reborn in our blood erupting
DNAcandle flicker and pistons pound a rotation
a rotary goes around comes around
Climaxis Anti-Climax
Thetreasure is in the seeking
the finding is just all right
Thereis nothing more pure or clean
Popgoes the weasel, groovin high
the Bird gets the worm
Bopthe fun
Pleasurethe bodies unlimited
Heat& sweat unbridled laughter
Eyesillumined jewels
adorning the carnival skin
Weused to plant little flags when we did it outside
Nowalls, no roof, no clothes, no regrets, no rules
Whoneeds a motel room
when we have the top of Mt.Tamalpais
Duringthe late ‘60s, Antler, Jeff Poniewaz and Andy Clausen were three of many youngpeople inspired by Allen Ginsberg, whose deep voice of sanity and compassioncame as a great relief amid the insanity and cruelty of the Vietnam War. Antler and Jeff in Milwaukee and Andy in NewYork subsequently became three of the younger generation poets whose poemsAllen liked and in whom Allen saw hope for the future of poetry and the world. On a cross-country tour behind his new More Selected Poems, Andy is accompaniedby his ladylove and fellow poet Pamela Twining. The four will perform at Riverwest Public House starting at 7pm onThursday July 11. This event coincides withPower Down Week, so the poets’ performance will include poems that, in thespirit of Allen Ginsberg, confront the Climate crisis and other urgentissues. To quote Ginsberg: "AndyClausen’s bardic populism is grounded on long years' sturdy experience as aconstruction worker earning family bread by the sweat of his brow. His comments on the enthusiastic Sixties andall the decades since present a genuine authority in America not voiced much inpoetry magazines. The expensive bullshitof TV suffers placed side by side with Clausen's direct information and rawinsight." This will be a rarechance to hear two dynamic Woodstock NY poets who have never been to Milwaukeeperform together with their two Beat-nexus Riverwest friends.
