Tuesday in CinCity. The Funny Valentine Edition.



Exegesis


by Paul Hostovsky



We couldn't have been more than twelve

or thirteen, sitting on that green bench in the late

sixties or early seventies, me and Michael Zucker

who was much more savvy and world-weary

than I, when I asked him to please explain

the meaning of the words to a song by Carly

Simon, who was simply gorgeous—that much was

plain—after we'd resolved the essential question

of whether or not she was wearing a bra

in that photo of her with the blue top and thick

lips on her album cover. "I don't get it," I said.

"'You're so vain. You probably think this song is about you.'

But the song IS about him, isn't it?" I asked Zucker,

holding my palm up in the air like one who is

trying to ascertain the truth about whether or not

it has started to rain. Zucker looked away then,

gingerly fingering the green slats, as though he were

reading the carved names of the lovers and obscenities

tactually. Then he took a deep breath and exhaled

miserably, took the album cover out of my hands

and gazed awhile at Carly Simon who was gorgeous,

famous, braless, and older than me and Zucker put together.

"That's the point," he said. "She's in love with him."




Comments

  1. Delightful story. I remember wondering about that song, but didn't have Micheal Zucker to explain it to me. [Although a Mike Zucker lived down the street from me, oddly enough.] What a perfect Valentine post.

    (Hi! I recently found your blog and have been following it... as a lurker. But today I felt the need to comment. Never quite know how to introduce myself to a new-to-me blogger, so I'll just say "Hi!")

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello!! and welcome! Lurk away :>)and hope you enjoy!!

    ReplyDelete

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