Wednesday, July 23, 2014

(4) FRANK'S ENCHANTED WORLD VAUDEVILLE (starring Frank)




BACK & FORTH AND…

Frank spent a big chunk of time
hitch-hiking back and forth across America

Back & forth and
Back & forth and
Back & forth.

One day
hitching through Colorado
Frank caught a ride
with America himself

America
be-frocked
     in the red-white-and-blue
crossing country
in a rag-top black Cadillac
with his road buddies
Custer & Crook
heading for heroin-heaven
Bakersfield, California.

Mexican-Brown
they called it,
rhapsody and reverie
all in one.

Somewhere near Creede
America asked Frank to drive
so they could fix up
in their big back seat.

Frank
having neither license
nor clue
but being Frank
took the wheel
and lead-footing way over the speed limit
drove straight off the Continental Divide
into the galactic dome.

Those poor
  fucked-up
     junkies

one with a needle in his arm
one with a rubber hose in his teeth
and one with his finger tips on fire

got bucked
up and out
far beyond the Caddie's arc
to re-enter Earth's atmosphere

as three comets

thinking it was the trip of their lives

and it was.

Frank
white-knuckling
the steering wheel
and shouting to Gawd-Almighty

tumbled
down
down
    and
    down

dumping that car
in the flood swollen
Rio Grande
and slick as a panting Labrador
scrambled up to the highway
to catch a lift
with an 18-wheeler
heading for the Great Salt Lake.

When Frank told the trucker
about America & Company

(just to help him stay awake)

he pulled off the road
and kicked Frank out of the cab

all he said was -

Bullshit walks.  You are outta here, mother-fucker.

A harsh reaction, but they had hit Utah.

Frank's
next piece of luck
was a rental
and a pretty girl
from Cambridge, Mass.
heading for the airport.

She was to teach him
the pleasures
of flying

and put
all that

back & forth and

behind him.





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