Sunday, July 15, 2012

Forest Park - 1979 - Finale


Okay, so IGGY is starting to give everybody
Major Skee-Voh-Zah
With a CAPITAL "V"
Lee has finished her IGGY KNISH OFFERING, and so sated,
She now wants him GONE.
Hmmm…not so easy, Lee-sy…
I'm layin' on my blanket, eyes closed, soaking in those overcast OZONE BEAMS,
Just minding my own B. I. Bidness
When I hear Lee's demure voice, slightly irate: "I'd really like to take a little nap, if you don't mind."
Followed by Iggy's seductive (ß????) drawl: "Go right ahead, Sweetie. I don't mind."
I turn my head, squinting over to take in the following scene:   IGGY, totally encroaching on Lee's tiny blanket situation, leaning over her, leering obnoxiously.
Lee seems on the verge of vomiting, but she's always been THE POLITE ONE of we two. 
And I always get to be THE BITCH.
Me: "Well, Iggy - maybe SHE minds that you're staring like a rude weirdo and salivating all over her.  Ever think of THAT?"

Iggy shoots me a look, as if to say: Hey, bitch - M.Y.O.B.  I just bought her a KNISH, you dig?
But Lee is giggling at what I just said, so The Ig-Meister doesn't say a word in response.  But he also doesn't move or cease with the encroachment routine.
So Lee gets up to walk down to the water.  IGGY follows.
I stay put, just me and the Ozone, occasionally squinting to observe as they interact at the water's edge.
God knows what they're talking about.  But…it does seem awkward.
He really is a sad-sack of a fella. 
I make a mental note to try to be a more tolerant person.
It's a note I make often
Maybe one day it will
Stick.
Davie plops down next to me, grinning. 
He's so funny.  I love Davie.
He hands me a Miller Nip. 
It's frosty.
Davie nods toward the water: "How goes it with The Lovers?"
"Love is complicated, my friend."  We clink nips and drink deep: "Verrrrrrry complicated."
Davie laughs: "And how."
Couple hours later, Iggy drives us all back to Forest Park.
And none of us ever saw IGGY again.
But that was some weed
And some car stereo,
Man.












Forest Park, 1979 - Pt. 5


ROCKAWAY BEACH: 116 STREET!

The Gang's all here, the usual suspects…

Everybody except

THE SUN.

The Sun never really appears that day -

The Rockaway Sky is just as overcast

As the Forest Park sky.

The usual comments from THE TANNING COMMITTEE:

"Well, ya can still get COLOR on a day like today…"

"You CAN!  You can even get a BAD BURN on a day like today…"

"I KNOW!  Because the OZONE…"

"RIGHT!  THE OZONE still BURNS THRU the CLOUDS…"

"What?"

"I don't know.  Something like that…"

No, the sun never quite appears, and yet

One thing remains,

Burning brite…

We just can't shake IGGY

(Or at least Lee can't)

The man is relentless

His ardor increasing, his passion

A-FLAME.

All our friends on the boardwalk are like:

"Who the fuck is that guy you came with?"

"O, that's just IGGY.  He gave us a lift."

"Jeez.  Desperado."

"Yeah, what can ya do."


"What is he?  FORTY?"

"Somethin' like that."

My brain still mushy

From the ELP tunes and the weed

Yet I can't help but notice that Lee has now

Taken Iggy up on his KNISH OFFER.

Me: "NOW you've done it.  You gotta marry him now."

Lee: "Oh, shut up." (Chew-chew-gulp.)

Me: "YOU shut up.  Oh, and by the way, ya might wanna wipe that mustard off ya nose.  Not very dignified."

 TO BE CONTINUED…

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Forest Park, 1979 - Pt. 4

Now, Christ.

We all know the type.

This late-20's, early-30's dude who

Can't somehow relate to women his own fuckin' age

So he's gotta resort to pickin up these

Young broaDS

Headin down

Rockaway.

So IGGY PARKED THE CAR

Right on 116 somewhere.

He was partial to Lee, it was

Obvious.

But once we got down there,

Lee didn't wanna

Know.

But it didn't matter.  IGGY followed us

Down to the sand.

Offering Lee: "Can I buy you a Knish?

How 'bout a pretzel?"

I found myself infused

With feelings of relief

At not being considered particularly

Attractive

In this case.


To be CONTINUED

Forest Park, 1979 - Pt. 3

So we're driving down to the beach

On this really overcast, muggy day

And this dude (OUR HOST)

IGGY - who happens to be driving a really sweet little

El Camino or El Dorado or MAYBE LINCOLN???? some

Fucking thing…

Which also happens to have an incredible stereo system

Like this KILLER stereo system that is MONSTER

IGGY lights this gigantic joint

Of like - POISON.  POISON, TOXIC POT…..

And within THREE SECONDS I'm almost BRAIN-DEAD….JUST NOT PREPARED FOR THIS…

And what comes POURING out of this killer SOUND SYSTEM is…

EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER:

"You see I really have to tell you
That it all gets so intense
From my experience
It just doesn't seem to make sense

Still...you turn me on…"

To be continued….

Forest Park, 1979 - Part 2

So there we were

We decide to hitch

Me an' Lee were regular

WOMEN OF THE WORLD…

Titties-n-Tube Tops…

Bell Bottom Blooz…

But Davie an' Tick-man were

Skinny young lads

So they stayed at the side of the road

Til me an' Lee got the ride.

From a DUDE NAMED IGGY.

He was maybe in his early 30's.

Handsome, I thought, in a

Deranged sorta way.

But then again, I was only

17

So

What the fuck do

I know.

IGGY ROLLS UP

LIKE HE JUST WON THE LOTTERY.

FLINGS OPEN THE DOOR

ME AN' LEE STROLL IN…

But then Davie an' Tick-man

Jump right in the back.

Iggy tries to disguise

His

Disappointment.



TO BE CONTINUED…



Forest Park, 1979


Yesterday:  An overcast, muggy summer day in my hometown in Queens, New Yawk.  

Memories….

1979, Forest Park.

Up in the 2nd picnic area,

Just outside The Dome Parking Lot. 

We cut school:  Me an' Lee.

Weez gonna hitch

To 116.

Catch some rayz.

Meet some buds up on a bench

Davie K. & Tick-Man.

Davie K. could play the drums

And sing good back-up

To Free Bird.

Tick-Man got his name

Because whenever he got

In a drunken

Wrestling match…

He hung on the other guy's back

Like a

Tick.



To Be Continued…

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Happy Birthday To Herman

Six Years Old
And one helluva ride...
Big, crazy pup
 Like a Thorn in my
Side....

Beautiful Boy,
Pretty brown eyes -
Puppy, you're a thorn in my
Side.

Ohhh, well...

Nose on my knee
Chin in my hand
Guess I can stand you....
Yeah,
You, I can stand.

Pretty boy born
Independent's Day
ShaGGY boy shepherd
Took my heart away.

Six years old
(How those crazy years flew...!)
Six years now
of
Me,
Dadda,
and
You.