Today I want to talk, quickly because I
only have 2 minutes, if one believes the
clock or accepts that I should go upstairs at
7:30, although it doesn�t really matter, it�s just
dinner and no cigarettes, TV and no
movie, winding down and trying to
identify what is missing without thinking about it, so
I want to talk for 1 minute about the way things
happen, or the way my thoughts happen, which
is the same way that pool balls hit one another when
someone bumps the table, as opposed to when
an excellent trick shooter sends them
cracking off each other and the cushions with purpose; no
that�s not true it�s like pool balls being shot out of a
bazooka by a blind man at a huge aquarium filled with
other pool balls, at the top of a spiral staircase is more like it. Yes.
With me it�s the ways the music plays in my head � it
starts with one song � pick one, any song � OK, Van
Morrison�s Ball and Chain, which leads to Janis
Joplin�s Ball and Chain which leads to Piece of my
Heart, which leads to Merilee Rush�s Angel of the
Morning, which leads to Is That All There Is?
(I�m not sure why � that one isn�t so
obvious � it has something to do with that calliope
sound in the bridge, which makes some sort of
mood connection), which leads to Fire by the
Crazy World of Arthur Brown, which leads to
Touch Me by the Doors, which ends with the
Ajax jingle Stronger than Dirt, which makes me wonder
what the hell ever happened to the Man from Glad?
Glad, like Glad All Over? Now it�s the Dave Clark 5 to
Petula Clark to Clark Kent to Clark Bar to Baby Ruth to
Baby Please Don�t Go to Them to Van Morrison to Ball and Chain.
Love in Vain, Train in Vain, Train kept a Rollin�, Rollin on a
River, Take me to the River, Wrap it up I�ll take it! Hold on
I�m comin! You really got a hold on me, tears of a clown, Everybody
loves a clown, laugh laugh, the Beau Brummelstones, Fred, Wilma,
Barney, Andy Aunt Bea True to your School�s Out for Summertime Blues,
Shakin' All Over Now Baby Blue, Badfinger, Bad Company, Bad
Luck Harold Melvin and the Bluenote records, What�s Wrong with this Picture,
Van Morrison, I just want to be your ball and chain.
But hold up, what if ball was supposed to lead to
Reddy Teddy (�and ball tonight) or Cyrkle (Red Rubber Ball), or
Ball of Confusion, Ball and Biscuit, Ballpark Franks,
Frankie Lymon and the TeenAngel of the Morning, good god, is that Merrilee
Rush again? Will it go round in circles?
Will it fly high like a FreeBird bird bird is the word, Papa was a
Rollin� Ooh mau mau?
Now speed it up.
Now have it run 16, 17, 18 hours.
All
Damn
Day.

My 2 minutes are up.

Dave Morrison is a writer of novels, short stories, poetry, and many notes on scraps of paper; a chronicler of strange dreams, blurry memories, momentary visions. Descended from Mull fishermen and Toronto hustlers, born near Boston he is the spiritual love-child of Janis Joplin and Carl Yazstremski. After years of playing guitar in rock & roll bars in Boston and NYC, he currently resides in coastal Maine. His work has been featured in Thieves Jargon, FRiGG, Rumble, Dispatch, Psychopoetica, Juked, Mad Hatter's Review, Void, Poor Mojo's Almanac(k) and Zygote in my Coffee. You can e-visit Dave here. �SWEET: New and Selected poems by Dave Morrison� can be ordered here or to read a selection of Dave�s poetry on the showcase section of this site, click here

© 2006 Laura Hird All rights reserved.