Uh, I think I did read one or two of this set of poems
called "Portrait of the 60s".
That's what I call it now.
You know, when I was here before, I thought
I would try reading this whole group of five poems,
which I very rarely do.
I wanted to get a sense of how they fitted together
all at once.
It's-- these poems deal with five people who--
whom-- I knew or knew about back in that turbulent era.
And I'll have something more to say about each of them
as I come to them.
The first-- maybe I should just say,
the first's called "Portrait with Short Hair".
And the setting is, let's say, Berkeley, California.
And the character being portrayed is a young woman.
The days, the days.
And the scissors you cut your hair with, oh how dull.
Time to change the needle.
Put on another record, no, something Baroque and think
of the good times.
Think of lakes and rivers.
It's hot.
Let in some air.
Let the smell of leftovers be one with the perfume of cooling
asphalt leaves.
And the nights are wonderful.
You alone, alone with the slums, the flower pots, the stars.
Think of the sea.
Unzip, just as though someone were around to be made love to.
Or any way to pose for the mysteries of sex.
Someday, you'll wake up, back on that Christmas morning
in Mexico, still a virgin.