Stetson—a soft brown furry crown a circle round my skull a stetson hat–a worn 
protection
from solar rays—carried away in a violent wind escaping into traffic like a gum wrapper—a running hat is a dance instructor & a traffic stopper—in the rain it’s my old dog whiffing up by the fire places a cap of my fire and a blindfold in billy goat’s bluff a wheel to be rolled roadside—beats haircuts and leaves a tonsorial bathtub ring on my head–clasp it & it talks—it bows at funerals ducks at Parades it’s a music box its sweat band damp & tightening—don’t let it shrink hats need to stay busy—always above my eyes—a companion half seen like a nose—John B. Stetson—pinned hatband with a feather & a brooch—the sweat bleeds through a salt lick—so a hat is salty—regal—a tierra against disrespect—extra special like a flying wallet against the sun.
3 comments
Hey, “Paradise, etc.”! Thanks for posting that! Every one of your songs matters in so many ways. I was just combing old PCBlog postings from 2007 for a few minutes today (came to mind to go visit that place, probably since the upcoming McCabe’s show is also on my mind). Anyway, on 7/19/07 at 12:45 P.M., Gary posted “the last time I saw pc, I was under some heavy stress (some of you here on the pc blog know what I’m talking about), it all melted away for a moment when I heard pc sing ‘Beyond the Blues’, and ‘Paradise, etc.'” Life-changing music, even life saving! That’s a real legacy! On behalf of Gary and me and a whole lot of others, Thanks, man!!
Thanks, Art. Have you heard from Gary recently? I wonder how he is…
I haven’t. I wish we had email addresses for all those folks. I hope he’s well, too! Maybe I’ll do some digging.