By

Mike Boyle

Tips to a New Recruit

There are routes

to take up and down

the avenues

a bike lane on

6th

the avenue of the americas

another on

madison

but the best

are the outside

ones

1st and 9th

sometimes

broadway

which cuts

south

from the west side

uptown

to the east

downtown

broadway is one of the only

remenants

of the old trails

that used to run through

this land

before they

laid out the grid

do not even think

of riding against

the traffic or

on sidewalks

OK, try it

you'll see

upper west side

after 10p and all the orders

have been filled

riding down

9th

you should cut across

greenwich ave

which will drop you on

8th st

ride that east

till it turns into

st mark's

take that

almost to ave a

if ya wanna hang

with me

and the other

misfits

drunks

criminals

and

living legends

at the

international b&g

circa 1985

Mary Petruno

has run this place

for decades

there's an old

decaying buck head

on the wall

and it has the old-fashioned

pounded tin ceiling

Mary came here

like so many others

between world wars

from the ukraine

and eastern europe

she's around 80

do not even think

of fucking with her

they're open

till 4a

but sometimes

we hang till 5

and I buy

the old lady a drink

wishing she'd tell me

all her stories

but she never does

The Job

I was engaged

to be married

and the girl was saying how

I could work

and she could stay home

cook

clean

and have babies

which wouldn't have been

a BAD idea

if I had a good job

but

as it was

we were just scraping by

with both of us working

What do you think?

she asked

and I looked at her

welll

I dunno

while what I actually thought

was

they have a slave

and now

you want one too

A few phone calls

and weeks later

I was up in the city

as Choo-Choo

the guy that ran

we deliver

had offered me a job

with them

a year before

Mike Hoke

my friend

and

the bass player in my band

New Left

had been up there

for a year already

working for them

and we had been commuting

for gigs

and rehersals

They explained

how it worked

how dispatch was located

at Choo-Choo's place

on e 3rd st

a place with 3 phones

that took calls from noon

till 10

and supply was located

in the Chelsea Hotel

where you would go to stock up

for the day

and bring the cash and remaining product

back

at night

fine

Choo was cool

older than us

gay, in his mid 50's

ran the business with

Mike Rainbow

also gay

in his 50's

ex-yippie

knew Abbie

and the beats

Choo let me stay

at his place

where Mike Hoke lived

also

for a few months

then he got tired of us

musicians

there

went and got us a place

on ave a

put down the deposit

pay me back

when you can

Then I was on the phone

with the girl

saying

I have a place now

you could move up

be with me

and she sd

welll

I dunno

Then I was riding the bike

all over Manhattan

collecting money

giving most of it back

at the end of the night

Backstage Quotes

Soon after the incident

in the courtyard

I was pissing off

the

balcony

and she was yelling

how this was

no way to live

and I sd

welll,

you're the one that

threw

the TV out the

window

the manager was

knocking on the door

the whole time saying

Sir?

It was a humid

type heat

not like sticking your

head in the oven

like they say

was sweating

and liking it

in the lights

kids were swirling

around

stage diving

had this pile of

cinder blocks

in front of the mike

and saw

my manager

standing in the back

of the club

waving his hands

I just nodded

and started breaking

the things

with this steel pipe

I called

the kingpin

that I carried

under the seat

of my car

instead

of a gun

Somewhere

on the road

between

Phila

and NYC

we changed seats

so I could do a shot

in the back

think it was

snowing and you

sd you were too stoned

to drive

all Iggy thumbs

you sd

that was a good line

when we got to

NYC

the snow looked like

dirt

but the traffic

lights

parted

like the

red sea

stayed at the St James

Hotel

where they did

Big

hookers in the lobby

last chance

downtown

before

pressure point

yes

streets opened up

candy stores

Had this new amp

set way too high

on the treble

and the sound man

came rushing at it

swung my

at his head

I know what I'm

doing

man

bass and drums

all bottom

and I'm squealing

top

like lightning

everything else

gets

deadpanned

supposed to be like

war

Never hang out

backstage

after the gig

let 'em

wonder

again with the

candy lines

but now

just sidewalks

rock candy

glistening

in the summer heat

ave c

too white?

maybe

maybe floating

out

and up

again

cops eyes

all stiched up

night

like that

too

remembering

a pulse

ears

still

ringing

liking the blackness

of it all

just turn it

off

12 Beer Poem

I forget

all the things

they say

matter

Moon howling

giddy

there's

cars

still running

down the

boulevard

stars

winking

Around Midnight

I was in an all-night diner

on 2nd Ave.

in Manhattan

and it was

around midnight

I had just left my friends

at the International Bar and Grill

on St. Mark's Place

Which has the same misnomer

as St. Mark's Bar and Grill

no grill at either place

and my friends

Were in for the long haul again

till closing

and I was starving

my ass off

Because I had

rode my bike all over the island

of Manhattan

that day

And my last stop

was to 2 women

who decided

they liked me

And also decided that

I deserved a real treat

so we did the 69

and the 699

And some other things

and when I got out of there

my nuts

were like raisins

I ordered a big breakfast

Steak and eggs

homefries, toast and coffee

and when I was finished

Eating

I told the waitress

I'm a hell of a man

she gave me the bill

Patted my hand

told me

sure you are honey

pay at the counter

Trine

Mike

Linda and

I had already spent

the early evening

in tomkins sq park

drinking

smoking

getting to know

the people

we were becoming

but mostly

goofing

around

running to the deli

for 6-packs

every hour

or so

as the cops

walked by

and the in-crowd

walked by

and the bums

scouted out

the places

thay would be spending

the night

we weren't too concerned

about what was going on

in the hip clubs

within walking distance

and all the boho folks

wearing black

or dressing like

madonna

then

later

night

east river park

on a park bench

the projects on ave d

licking our backs

licking history

off

our backs

wind whispering something

and

watching

the planes

take off

from the 23rd st

seaport

Backstage at Irving Plaza

with Elrod, our drummer

and my junk

buddy

El started playing with us

a couple of months ago

after our old drummer

quit

and we spent months

looking for a replacement

and languishing

in street life

night life

and

well

that's not what I moved

up here for

sd he knew Bowie

and used to roadie

for the New York Dolls

and

after

the first night

he played with us

in the room

we shared

with the

Fuzztones

he sd

he was going to get

something for the head

and I went along

then

a month later

up on the roof

of the music building

shooting scag

watching the cars

on 8th ave

and then

earlier

that night

we were in the World club

on e 2nd st

and they were closed

but El knocked on the door

and Richie

the owner

knew him too

and we scored coke

and heroin

with Richie

El talked me into

buying a bunch

of coke

saying he could sell it

and we could do the

profits

and I stupidly

went along

because

I knew

nothing good

was going to happen

with the band I had

kept telling myself

I was just

playing out my hand

but coke

wasn't my thing

was too wired

already

speedballs

El sd

yeah

slams up

and settles back

down

into the warmth

of heroin

tried it

so El

seemed to know

everybody

and all that time

I never belived him

but he got us in

free

to see Johnny Thunders

knew the doorman

and introduced me to

Johnny

and Johnny asked

what's the name of yr band?

after El told him we had one

and I sd

the Fucknuts

and El looked at me weird

because that wasn't

our name

at all

and,

like I said

I knew it was going to hell

anyhow

my hand spilling out

on the floors

and avenues

then El tried to sell

Johnny

who he called

some coke

and JT

FUCK YOU MUTHERFUCKERS

and his manager

came up to us

Johnny's been trying

to get clean

and JT yelled at her

GET THOSE MUTHERFUCKERS

OUT OF HERE

and she sd

please leave

so we went out

to see the show

found some seats

next to Mike and Linda

who had paid

to get in

who had told me earlier

don't bring Elrod here

he's too much of a loudmouth

and I told them

don't worry

I ain't coming

anyhow

what are you doing here?

Mike asked

and I sd

my world too

fucknut

then I went

and got us a round of

beers

at the bar

Arthur "Killer" Kane was

up there

at the bar

with a bunch of others

that looked like

they just stepped out

of the early 70's

but uglier

gave Mike and Linda

their beers

El didn't want one

gowan

and sat

down

as El

harassed

the couple

next to us

till they moved

a few seats away

then JT came on

and it was the saddest

show I ever saw

there seemed to be nothing

left to him

he started one song

called

Joey, King of the Streets

and walked away

half way

through the thing

after the show

Mike was mad because

I met JT

and he didn't

and a month later

he and El were

having a fistfight

in our little apt

on ave A

then we were looking

for a drummer

again

and JT

went on

for a while

CHEESBURGER?

Was in Danceteria

with Mike and Nigel

listening to my monkey

who was going on

and on

about getting the hell

back downtown

QUICK!

But he always says that

nervous critter

specially after I had left him

out in the cold

in Phila a few weeks

before

Had been visiting old

friends there and took

a lot of the treats

he liked but ahhh

welll

we did them all in

one night

then next day

woke up in Cheryl's

place in Ardmore?

yeah

Long train ride back

sick

monkey almost

dead

So ahhh

Danceteria?

yes

Nigel had a few free passes

to see his buddies band

Blaze

who played this techno-funk

that really left me cold

his bud played bass and they had

this girl singer with big dyed red hair

Blaze

get it?

I mean BIG HAIR

it was the 80's

Backstage

after the show

Mike and Nigel engaged in

a conversation with this

guy that said he was a

PRODUCER

while I looked over at the singer

Blaze

she was looking back

as if she expected some kind of

TRIBUTE

was drinking champagne

in a long-stemmed glass

and SOAKING IT UP

had the in-crowd

and some photographers

gathered around

like they do

Sneered at her

blew a snotball

on the carpet and

went for a

BEER

when I got back

Mike and Nigel were saying how

this guy's connected man

and you could tell their

panties were on

FIRE

about the whole thing

how this is how people get

DISCOVERED

then this PRODUCER

is asking who's your singer?

he's liking this tribute thing also

it's in the air

thinks his greatness is in the air

looks like a shyster to me

Tony is,

Nigel sd

Welllll

why don't you sing me a song?

the PRODUCER sd

Nah, I don't think so

I told him

then my

FRIENDS

really put me on the spot

saying how I was a great

singer

and pleading with me

to give the man

what he wanted

Then there was a bit of

YELLING

and cursing

think the

PRODUCER

wanted to take a swing at me

but he didn't

and I left them all

there in the

GREATNESS

of the privleged ones

that get backstage

on momentous

nights like that

Took a cab downtown

thinking how

my little band used to have

some greatness

then the power struggles

started to happen

my friends steering us

towards what was

POPULAR

instead of doing

what always used to

come natural

Asked the cabbie

Ya know where I can get a blow-job and a

CHEESEBURGER?

At the same time?

Of course,

I sd

Twilight

The hole in the sky

darkens

the basketball players

have left the park

all quiet

soon - the yellow

lights will come on

and then

we might

have something

to talk about

later

Helen

who was in

Playboy

and a few

porno films

and now tends bar

at St Mark's B&G

will be hanging out with

Danyessa

who lives in

Bensonhurst

has a degree

in accounting

but they both dance

in the strip clubs

around Times Sq

they'll be in this bar

I call

neon hell

on 1st Ave

I'll be there

jokes

falling

out of my mouth

suburban skin

melting

off

like that

and Danyessa

will slip her arm

around mine

and we'll walk back here

and I won't tell

her

that I'm a bit crazy

because I like the arm thing

and everything that follows

how we shine

together

and everything else

is just dirt

I'll see ya there

later

we'll slide into

the cracks

in sidewalks

and forget

everything

but not

that

Trains and Rooftops

The broadway limited

in the old days

sitting in the bar car

for 4 hours

and getting out at

penn station

walking over to

5th ave

and flaging a cab

after talking to

some guy

that was meeting

his fiance

at the milford plaza

who sd

he shouldn't have another

beer

with me

but did anyhow

we had many more

then when we got off

the train

she's gonna be pissed

i'm drunk

and i sd

look

don't get a cab

here

walk it off

it's only 8 blocks

to the milford

had to point

the way

then

sitting in my cab

white driver

talking about

something

with him

dead words

and thinking

about the weekend

spent at mom's house

for easter

how dad died

easter sunday

2 years before

then danyessa

curling her arm

around mine

in a crowd

that was fading

as we walked down

st mark's place

and all i could think

was

how i could get rid

of her

for a bit

while i went

to score

and did

met her

later

at neon hell

on 1st ave

between trains

wearing bowling shoes

and leather

pants

and playing james brown

on the juke

that night

we went up

on the rooftop

of our place

on ave a

with mike and linda

for a cookout

had rigged

an extension cord

to run the stereo

had a grill

some chairs

mike and linda

getting drunk

and I

couldn't get

drunk

looking

instead

out to the east

and danyessa called me

tone

instead of tony

as we both looked out

at tomkins sq park

and all the people

underneath

that seemed to be in some movie

and we seemed to be some old

married couple

already

and i thought

nobody knows my name

i like that

in the morning

crawling out of the kitchen

where my bed was

linda sd

i could hear

you 2 last night

she was up by then

but mike was still

in the loft

we built

in this

little studio

apt the 3 of us shared

and i didn't say

anything

but danyessa

came up behind me

we could hear you too

and then she

took the train

back to brooklyn

and

now

i know

one of them is dead

and wonder

we all are

Nothing

comes in here

no rhyme or reason

the blacklight thinned out

to only a squeal

and out

of a nod

before mice

chase roaches

across the floor

before

bluetime

sandman is wearing

cement shoes and he walks up to

the concrete blonde

says something

she gives him

a mona lisa smile

they walk off

into the crowd

of storm troopers

dripping in sweat

as the disco ball

whirls overhead

elrod is doing his

jerry lewis routine

with a few kids from

jersey

who are looking

to score

and follow me around

the world club

saying

when's he getting back?

I'm wrapped in

steel wool and my ears

are weathervanes

that the lush keeps licking

and it takes el

an hour to return

dusted is

on the stage

the singer is bleeding

through her nose

and mouth

before I fell in love

with her

and someone else

left her pregnant

and destitute

and she wrote poems

el comes back

wrapped in

warhol's foil

and other things

before

grand central

before feburary left him

a statue in tomkins sq

but there's rooms here

where the velvet lush

stops flailing

small rooms

no pastels

the singer comes back

later

arm in arm

with the sandman

the kids go back to jersey

el goes to the bathroom

and I say

welll

here we are

outside:

sabine is up on

lexington ave

think she's tricking

but don't ask

she wakes me the next

morning

tells me I was

screaming

in my sleep again

and I'm thinking

that 12th st dosen't open

till 4 and maybe

super d on

13th is open

they were

and then in

leschos with sabine

her hair was on

fire

but her toast

was

cold

Hoboken

1986

the sky is cracked

no, it's grey

a grey rubber mesh

There's pod people

milling about

walking, talking

scheming

in Frank's hometown

In a room

overlooking Willow St

I look at the book

I bought yesterday

from a street vendor

at Astor Place

The Basketball Diaries

I'm a little late

for the book

A seance

is churning

in Ireland

overlooking the Atlantic

There's the cliffs

you've seen

in pictures

No, they're in the bar

that's right

there's thick beer

and laughter

in the place

my grandfather left

a century ago

I'm interested

in the book

but put it down

to look at

James Baldwin's

Sonny's Blues

again

from a book

of short

stories

my father

had given me

years ago

I see him

strapped down

in a hospital bed

shaking

from Parkinson's

in a coma

Fuck

I'll be back

I sd

but never

went back

there

Yeah,

that's right

I phoned Danyessa

but she was out

somewhere in Brooklyn

her Mom sd

she'd have her call me back

Then Nigel came in

he played sax

in my band

and was letting me stay there

at his place

while

I kicked heroin

He wanted me to come with him

to the store

for food

telling me that he was gonna

cook up a grand meal

and I was going to get better

soon

You'll see

8 blocks

and coming back

he handed me 2

of the bags

which were literally

dragging me

into the ground

You've got to do your part now

he sd

like I was a baby

8 blocks

Gravity

erosion

The no/yes grey mesh rubber sky

I collapsed

into my sleeping bag

in the room

overlooking Willow St

when we got back

Then, I guess I was in and out

of delerium again

Not sleep

You don't really sleep

again

as far as I could tell

Nigel called me into the

kitchen and he had

a big spread layed out

There was chicken

potatoes

green beans

gravy

and the smell and sight of it

sickened

But I tried and got a few

mouthfulls down

Man, Nigel could eat

I wish I could

Back to the bag

the rubber mesh room

and Danyessa with her dancer's ass

out in Bensonhurst

the people with big

thick beers laughing as the Atlantic

roared onto the shores

of evermore

Then nothing

Another week

everything was draped in the

grey rubber

it dripped off the walls

into my shoes

sucked me into the sidewalk

Then back to work

riding a bike for

the rainbow mafia fags

Danyessa and me in

a resturaunt

in the west village

She, happy that I was clean now

and me

in some soft netherworld

Ignorance

as bliss as path train at

Hoboken going east till crowds & junk call

out a good boy here on

E 12th st I meet the man

gladly skulked down to B for points &

whistle ghosts float out of my

throat I's so white you know white on

white heat soul slipping

not even here in

hinterlands growling & biting the

belt re-creating my self

inside out else

homely instance stops to shudder only

for knives & guns but they fly

past Ave C like the huge black

bird that followed me

all day

Rising

up and out

of my shoes

and looking down

I look good walking east

on 10th St

no one would suspect

primeval man

stalking gotham

Rounding the corner

at 12th St

the dealer sees me first

nods to one of his

runners

and he walks up to me

Liberty is the tag

on the bags

and I take 8

stroll over to B

for new works

That night

there's people crowded

in my room

the members of my band

and some others

because I live

in a rehersal space

in the Music Building

on 8th Ave

There's a couch

a bathroom down the hall

which is just a toilet

but bathing

is something

that

primeval man

laughs at

There's a B&W TV

a radio

an air conditioner

and a room filled with amps

drums and other gear

We played till 1am

then Linda went down for more

beer while

Mike looked at me funny

like there was somebody there

that wasn't

Yet

Blacklight

8th ave

George and Ira

lingering

on the corner

a few blocks up

Irish cops

walking by

and everyone smokes

as a bit of steam

lifts

off the pavement

between languages

and world wars

and pinned between

38th and 39th

streets

falling out of the bodega

and taking the old

elevator up

to my 3rd floor

room

with several after lifes

dripping, well

rushing through my veins

curtousy of the sex-packets

bought downtown

that are telling me to

linger here

that there's other history

to nod

into

just back for a minute

to take the bike and pack

upstairs

drop it off

after the last 10 hours spent

delivering weed

mushrooms

acid

and the new product we carry

extacy, to all the manhattanites

that call

all the lingering will be done

downtown

Frank O'Hara's down there

corner of A and 9th st

little place

to open wormholes

into the 50's

Jim Carroll walks by

the record store

on 9th st

that has like 20 records

and is actually a front

for a Jamacian posse

and he's still shedding

the 60's and 70's

like dandruff

sure

they mean well

but today was a vacum

that sucked all this

history in

between bags and stops

to artists

musicians

models

MTV video editors

store clerks

and others

that talk too much

and ask too much

but there's this older

woman on Hudson

that dosen't

and always tips

looking at her walls

in a place I figured she's

lived in for decades

all the pictures and paintings

that said it all

and there's Stacy

who dosen't have to say

anything

no to it all

anyhow

the blacklight swallowed

the hole in the sky

hours ago

while I navigated through

the commuters

going back to Jersey

and Connecticut

and

it's calling me from

all these downtown

rooftops

a thin white noise

that I crowd under

into the Alkatraz bar

on the corner of St Mark's

and A

where few know

my real name

and

Choo-Choo will decide

it's girlie-drink night

while I make coke runs

for a few toursits

getting nickels a few blocks

away and selling them

for dimes

and Mike, Linda and Choo

will have the bartender

mix all these sweet

concoctions

laugh and joke

into the night

look over

say

Right Tony?

and I won't be there

Candy

12 floors of rehersal rooms

3rd floor

a swamp

and B&W TV

with the sound turned off

ambient lighting

and this girl

that says her name is

Candy

think I met her

at this coffee shop

by Times Sq

a place I would go

late

early

dark out anyhow

would go there

sometimes

when I thought I was too

high and probably

shouldn't go to sleep

might die

yeah

pretty sure

she popped out

of the blobs

of people

that seemed to live

this vampire

existence

in this coffee shop

late

early

sd she had this

tatoo

and I was just trying to

focus

What?

I sd

Look man

I have this tatoo

on my ass

want to see it?

No way

I told her

then there was some talk

and I just wanted to

keep from

nodding out

and she

went on

and on

with the talk

got me to tell her

what I did

and sd

she hooked

on 8th Ave

mostly across from

the Milford

Yeah

I remember you girls

there

I sd

how I had them watch

my bike sometimes

when I was rushing upstairs

someplace on that block

then in my room

the TV washing over us

she did a shot

and sd, again

want to see it?

and I sd

again

let's just curl up on my couch

we can watch a movie

and not be freaks

for a night

Candy wasn't too sure

about that but sd

and it just so happened

that the body snatchers

was on channel 9

with the pods and stuff

and sipping our coffee's

we got to go

I didn't die

that night

B&W TV

washed over us

think we were curled up

on the couch

safe

and in the morning

she sd

what have we here?

and I sd

cut it out

Candy

I'm not up to it

gotta get

my wake-up

shot

coffee

and she sd

So do I

but I think there might

be something here

yeah

there was

Candy had a tatoo

of Daffy Duck

on her ass

Sitting in a Chair

flashing on

faded memories

of work

stupid

tried to get off

but 2 weeks in Hoboken

wasn't enough

fell back into it hard

heard all the things

from the one's that lived it

the guy that hung in

the Int

was telling me how

he got strung out

and quit

then went back to it

and couldn't

then went on the methadone

program

Linda

who was on methadone

and doing dope

and drinking

and pills

still worked for us

and SHE

was giving me advise

about it too

no program

fuck that

live like an animal

in a practice room

in the music building

making $700 a week

with a $100 a day

habit

it dosen't matter

if you know where to

score any time of the day

now

the math is all wrong

down on pearl st

just up from park row

this guy that called

for a delivery

was telling me how

he had a tooth pulled

and the dr gave him

codine

and codine went good

with weed

can I use yr bathroom?

I asked him

and there it was

in the medicine cabinet

8 tylenol 3's

and I was feeling sickly

no, don't take them all

be cool

I took them all

swallowed them down

sold him some weed

and walked over to park row

waiting for it to kick in

8 3's would kill a normal person

but it just made me functional

for a while

by then we were all off bikes

cause a few months ago

I had been down on ave A

scoring dope

while I was working

and when I came out of the dope house

undercover cops

grabbed the seat of my bike

as I was riding back uptown

where I was supposed to be

and they went on to tell me

how I was going to dance

and testify

and go to rikers

because they had been watching

that place for weeks

I gave up a bit of a fight

but it didn't matter

they knew

so I gave up the 2 bags

I had in my pocket

and then they sd

empty all yr pockets

so I gave them

around $1200

I had in my left pocket

from half a day's work

and it was a little funny

watching them roll over

the one was saying to the other

No, Joe

we can't

and the other was saying

Welll,

we better never see you around here again

and I was like

all right

rode off back uptown

did a few more deliveries

went back an hour later and scored

snorted 2 and called

dispatch

told them I was robbed

by 3 guys in a van

who came up beside me

as I was riding on 8th ave

they sd

You all right?

I sd

Sure

I can finish out the night

and that night

we had a meeting

Mike Rainbow and Choo-Choo

the owners of the business

we're gonna have you messengers

off bikes for a while

while we get to the bottom of this

and I looked like a hero

then

I was sitting in the chair

in Mike Rainbow's place

on st mark's place

and Mike and Choo

were talking to me

asking me if I had looked

in the mirror

lately

and other things

about how they couldn't

have me delivering to customers

in the state I was in

anymore

that I shouldn't deny

I was strung out

I didn't

just looked around

there must be something here

to steal

I could kill you both

easily

might have to rip up

the floorboards

to find the money stash

then I just gave up

on the murder fantasy

while they droned on

then there were some hugs

and I had a train ticket

in my hand

in penn station

thinking they just did me

a great favor

and knowing

a world of hurt

was waiting

not knowing

if I would survive

but did

Cars and Heroin

Mike Hoke

came to pick me up

in Harrisburg

and we drove up

81 which turns

into I-78

had our guitars

and some other stuff

in the back and then

the thing

died

20 or so miles

into Jersey

engine locked up

this keeps happening

to me

6 years earlier

the fuel pump

in my Mustang

went out

on a stretch of road

outside Long Branch

going uphill

with no

place to pull off

I got out to

push the thing

it was

around 95 out

my girl, Wendy

was fretting

and a car came up

behind

guy leaned out the window

yelled

get in

I'll push

so he pushed us

bumper to bumper

and we got

over the hill

glided into some

apartment complex

and I started

knocking on doors

some kind older couple

took us in

and gave us iced tea

called a local garage

and it worked out

but we never made it

to NYC

that time

stayed in Asbury Park

for a few nights

drinking

and I went

skinny dipping

in the motel pool

late

early

saying come on in

Wendy!

LOUD

DRUNK

she didn't

but somehow

kindness

happens

when you need it

then last year

another girl

another car

her's

died

on the way to

Ocean City

another kind old couple

more tea and

phone calls

that car

blew a timing belt

and had to be towed

we took the train

back to Harrisburg

that night

after waiting for it

in a black bar

I was on heroin

and we got into an

argument

later

she stomped off

and we continued

the argument

for a few

years

I think

then Mike sd

how Linda sd

he should remember

to put oil

in the thing

but he forgot

it was winter and I was

wearing deck shoes

state cop came by

called it in

towtruck came

and we gave the car

to the towtruck guy

for a ride

into Easton

Mike sd

fuck it

it only cost

$400

now it ain't

worth

shit

nope

the driver

and I sd

took the bus

from Easton

to NYC

got a cab

down to Houston

where Mike

and Linda lived then

before they lived

in the flea-bag hotels

they lived in

later

as soon as we got

in the door

Mike broke

out the works

and the dope

Linda had

and shot some

I thought you sd

you quit

I sd and he laughed

I knew you wouldn't

come up to play

if you really knew

he sd

want some?

sure

I sd

the next day

we took his

strat to pawn

and bought a bunch

of dope

and David

the guy

with the connection

be carefull with this stuff

it's strong

I put a bag into

my works

and shot half

waited

and everything went

almost black

grey, really

knew

shot the rest in the sink

Mike's Shadow

A few months later I was in

the Hotel River View

aka

the Jane West

close to the Hudson

you could rent a room there

for an hour

or the night

by the week

cheap

was up for the weekend

to work on a project

with Mike

playing with this

model

that had a few songs

and thought

she was a singer

she had the look

and could hit all

the notes

but I didn't really care

it was just fun

for me

to be playing with my

old friend

again

she had rented out

one of the most expensive

rehersal rooms

in manhattan

and we had worked out the songs

all afternoon

had enlisted

our old pal

David

to play drums

Mike played bass

and I

aka

Tony

my old street name

played guitar

Mike was pretty strung out by then

had quit his job with

we deliver

actually had robbed them

of a few pounds of weed

and some mushrooms

relived them

he sd

laughing

there was always

a bit of a barbarian

in him

that's what I liked

he was as desperate

as me

after rehersal

I figured we'd go down to his place

on houston

but he sd

nah,

c'mon

and took me to where he

and Linda were living now

Linda was back

to dancing

in the strip clubs

around times sq

and the business

he thought he was starting

with the weed

he stole

never happened

I got a room

down the hall

but spent the night

in their room

Mike told me that he dug

Nick Cave

I had turned him onto

Nick

a few months earlier

told me how

he used to put on

Your Funeral My Trial

and do a shot

when Nick sang

that line

I am a crooked man and I've walked a crooked mile

looked at me like

that's you man

but it really wasn't

anymore

and he didn't have a stereo

anymore

so we played songs

all night

in his hotel room

the next day he told me

I was nodding out

during the songs

and I sd

sorry

he sd

that's OK

I just waited till

you woke up

and continued playing

you didn't know

did you?

I sd

Blood from a Stone

The next time I took a different route

and I saw Mike, Choo and Linda

sitting there

in the International Bar and Grill

on St Marks Place

in dark moods

I flew up to the rooftops

like we used to do

Spotting dealers like

people spot deer

back home

Linda flew up and told me that's one

Naw, not on the avenue

I sd

Oh yeah, she sd

What was I thinking

Guess it was a long

time ago

Not long enough, I sd

Where's Mike and Choo?

I asked

They'll be up soon,

they're talking

Want to fly to Union Square?

she asked

I told her I didn't

as the scene changed

The Int's over on 1st Ave now Linda

Yeah, she sd

I have to go soon

and you have to go to work

Let's sit here for a while first

I sd

Wait for Mike and Choo

They're dead Tony

she sd

Am I dead?

I asked

Yeah, we're

all dead

she sd

Look at the sunrise

isn't it pretty?

And it was

Ó 2004 Mike Boyle

mjboyle_58@yahoo.com