Saturday in CinCity, The Start of Summer Version
Driving West in 1970
by Robert Bly
My dear children, do you remember the morning
When we climbed into the old Plymouth
And drove west straight toward the Pacific?
We were all the people there were.
We followed Dylan's songs all the way west.
It was Seventy; the war was over, almost;
And we were driving to the sea.
We had closed the farm, tucked in
The flap, and we were eating the honey
Of distance and the word "there."
Oh whee, we're gonna fly
Down into the easy chair. We sang that
Over and over. That's what the early
Seventies were like. We weren't afraid.
And a hole had opened in the world.
We laughed at Las Vegas.
There was enough gaiety
For all of us, and ahead of us was
The ocean. Tomorrow's
The day my bride's gonna come.
And the war was over, almost.
by Robert Bly
My dear children, do you remember the morning
When we climbed into the old Plymouth
And drove west straight toward the Pacific?
We were all the people there were.
We followed Dylan's songs all the way west.
It was Seventy; the war was over, almost;
And we were driving to the sea.
We had closed the farm, tucked in
The flap, and we were eating the honey
Of distance and the word "there."
Oh whee, we're gonna fly
Down into the easy chair. We sang that
Over and over. That's what the early
Seventies were like. We weren't afraid.
And a hole had opened in the world.
We laughed at Las Vegas.
There was enough gaiety
For all of us, and ahead of us was
The ocean. Tomorrow's
The day my bride's gonna come.
And the war was over, almost.
This is precious. It brought back the seventies, the bubble-like conviction that we were right, and we could work it out. Bob Dylan was our priest.
ReplyDeleteThank you, guest poster, Robert Bly. I look forward reading more of your stuff.
Distracted, your blog is simply amazing. Just thought I'd say that *outloud*.
ReplyDeleteA perfect greeting for summer.
ReplyDeletethose were wonderful days. we need more like them........the times they are a changingggggg, jc
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I really like Robert Bly (and Bob Dylan). I hope that in 2009 our war is almost over, too.
ReplyDeleteDitto what Erin said. XOXO
ReplyDeleteCiao! I can't put it better than Rosaria and Erin Davis. Great post, thank you...
ReplyDeletehello, on my blog you asked about weather in new england........its here, its there, its everywhere. we don't get the long bouts of simmering summer that alot of the country gets and for that we are eternally grateful.....now winter is another story.....jc
ReplyDeleteI've followed Bob inside out and back again to the edge of the world.
ReplyDelete*sighs.... really enjoyed this post. Anything with Bob in it is going to be a winner. I wish I'd been a kid in any time but the time I was a kid in.. (late eightees early nineties)... I feel like my generation missed out on so much...
ReplyDelete