poem
Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 6:33 amI wanted to share this poem that I wrote. Apologize if the self disclosure makes anyone feel uncomfortable. It comes from the heart. Happy Birthday Cass!
me and my diva
nearly every gay boy has his diva
mine sang “dream a little dream of me”
flawlessly
cass elliot is not dead
as we speak,
she’s in a large room of my heart
singing a lovely, campy old song
with that golden voice of hers
while preparing duck a l’orange
and sipping mint tea
thick beautiful hair falling in her face
hiding the smile
that more than once
melted a ferocious chicago snowstorm
i know this to be absolutely true
i was there.
the daughter of a deli man
a jewish girl from baltimore
“secret weapon” of the band
she’d take a song and make it soar
i would scour the weekly tv listings
for which show she would guest on
i took a favorite picture of her and made a flyer
for her saturday morning “get it together” show
and hung it on the supermarket bulletin board
(dick clark owes me 30 cents for promotion,
xerox copies and labor included)
she supported mc govern for prez in ‘72
so i went to the nearest campaign office
and passed out literature for mc govern
too young to vote at the time
(yes, all you queens, i did more for my diva
than just listen to her records and cry!
though her rca debut rarely leaves me dry)
she matched magic with moment
and the high flying heroes of california sounds
hippily trippily landed
on her laurel canyon grounds
in july 1973, i saw her perform
at mister kelly’s
it was a high school graduation present
to be that close to the woman i loved
ever since i was eleven years old
and first heard “california dreamin”
on my transistor radio
yes, yes i know
my sexual orientation is not a choice
but i would have tested that to be with her
because she was big and beautiful
and she bathed me in sunbeams
when i felt caught in dark bleak places
or looking in from outer spaces
and dodging the fallout of parents drinking
a third of the big three,
a mugwump and a mama
making rock and roll history
and a little bit of drama!
all the acid trips i took
floating on mamas and papas harmonies
she could sing so soft and sweet
but when she belted, i really felt it
she rocked my world complete
on july 29, 1974
i came home from work
and my mother sat me down and told me
then the newspaper, radio and tv told me
she was gone
after standing ovations at the london palladium
she was gone
ellen naomi cohen
i hope that you are knowin’
dream a little dream i do
it’s 2009 and still i find
i dream a little dream of you.
me and my diva
nearly every gay boy has his diva
mine sang “dream a little dream of me”
flawlessly
cass elliot is not dead
as we speak,
she’s in a large room of my heart
singing a lovely, campy old song
with that golden voice of hers
while preparing duck a l’orange
and sipping mint tea
thick beautiful hair falling in her face
hiding the smile
that more than once
melted a ferocious chicago snowstorm
i know this to be absolutely true
i was there.
the daughter of a deli man
a jewish girl from baltimore
“secret weapon” of the band
she’d take a song and make it soar
i would scour the weekly tv listings
for which show she would guest on
i took a favorite picture of her and made a flyer
for her saturday morning “get it together” show
and hung it on the supermarket bulletin board
(dick clark owes me 30 cents for promotion,
xerox copies and labor included)
she supported mc govern for prez in ‘72
so i went to the nearest campaign office
and passed out literature for mc govern
too young to vote at the time
(yes, all you queens, i did more for my diva
than just listen to her records and cry!
though her rca debut rarely leaves me dry)
she matched magic with moment
and the high flying heroes of california sounds
hippily trippily landed
on her laurel canyon grounds
in july 1973, i saw her perform
at mister kelly’s
it was a high school graduation present
to be that close to the woman i loved
ever since i was eleven years old
and first heard “california dreamin”
on my transistor radio
yes, yes i know
my sexual orientation is not a choice
but i would have tested that to be with her
because she was big and beautiful
and she bathed me in sunbeams
when i felt caught in dark bleak places
or looking in from outer spaces
and dodging the fallout of parents drinking
a third of the big three,
a mugwump and a mama
making rock and roll history
and a little bit of drama!
all the acid trips i took
floating on mamas and papas harmonies
she could sing so soft and sweet
but when she belted, i really felt it
she rocked my world complete
on july 29, 1974
i came home from work
and my mother sat me down and told me
then the newspaper, radio and tv told me
she was gone
after standing ovations at the london palladium
she was gone
ellen naomi cohen
i hope that you are knowin’
dream a little dream i do
it’s 2009 and still i find
i dream a little dream of you.
