summer song

 

 

last Friday I went to
a birthday party gig
to celebrate BD’s birthday
(only three weeks late)
there was a Dylan covers band
with a singer
with white face
hat with feather
black waistcoat

 .
long scarf

skinny jeans
high-heeled boots
et al.
who looked uncannily like
BD of Rolling Thunder period
17 people came
knock out the band’s wives and molls
that left an audience of 13

.
what a way to treat BD!

I said two poems
including the one below

  

It was written in  St Albans
in 1970
it was nearly one am
and I was walking back
after seeing a young woman
(a possible future amour?)*
home
the sound of Dylan
was coming from
Ginger Mills’ portable player
with a shoulder strap
you posted 45s like 
letters through a slot
and it automatically played
I’d never seen one before
and haven’t since
and it was given to Ginge
by a young Tom Petty
American girl
who was visiting Snorbens
Ginge and I met
at the top of Holywell Hill
by which time he was
playing LIttle Richard
it’s an abiding memory
of Ginge**
which
I’ll never forget
.
J
.
* the romance hardly started
.

    but ended very painfully

    for me
.
  **link to Ginge got to: 
    The Ballad of Ginger MIlls Shagrat Records
.
.
.
summer song
 
dream night moonlight
and the tall old houses
silent on the steep hill
a distant wireless
crackles over the balmy air
sends Dylan rockin an rollin
through the ancient alleys
of the city
how does it feel?
sweet as the scent of mimosa
rising from the brick-walled gardens
how does it feel?
soft as the darkling breeze
stirring the wall-hung ivy
to be on your own?
so peaceful under this bright wide sky
with no direction home?
following the north star
and the swimming moon
a complete unknown?
among the unknown night strollers
slipping quietly to their beds
like a rolling stone?
gathering nothing
on these concrete pavements
but happy this summer night
the song fading
the streets emptying
tired and singing
.
.
.
Jeff Cloves
Pic: Claire Palmer
.
.
.
.
.
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