recovering notes from the deep, part 18

pittsburgh circa 1967

my roommate on jacksonia street

who worked at krogers on the northside
had a knack for bringing home t-bone steaks
just as we were running out of everything else
     that was edible

no questions asked

and then usually there would be some partying

sergeant pepper style
and some of the girls
from our high school graduating class
would come over and we'd talk about
those still around and others who drifted away
or got drafted including those who died

the living room had bare floors that we sat on

and a sliver or two but a good gas space heater
open flames just like you'd expect
from a falling down 3rd-floor walkup

the doors this is the end

haunted everyone who came over to see us
this was a kind of anthem for those of us
living on the otherside
where we painted the bathroom walls & fixtures black
where there were no dorms
and class schedules
only hard labor
or tedious production-line-piece-work

months passed and my roommate

always restless
suddenly decided to rent a truck
and move to the west coast sunshine

on the last night we laughed and rapped

reliving our experiences
passing through the rubicon
which i thought then
could only happen once
     as i helped him pack
shaking hands like it would be
the last time
which it was
as he slipped the doors album onto the turntable
like it was sending him down the road

i never heard from him again

but pretty sure he caught
the best part
of the summer of love
probably getting lost regularly
in golden gate park
guiding groups of merrymakers
and cerebral adventurers
in and out of the free stores
crash pads
lost lovers
on their way to nirvana

--- e b bortz