I kept getting letters from a lady who lived only a mile or so away. She signed them Nicole. She said she had read some of my books and liked them. I answered one of her letters and she...

she writes: you’ll be moaning and groaning in your poems about how I fucked those 2 guys last week.

I tried it standing up this time. it doesn’t usually work. this time it seemed

looking out the window smoking rolled cigarettes drinking Sanka and watching the workers come on in

it is like this when you slip down, done like a wound-up victrola (you remember those?) and you go downtown

One day I was at the bar between races and I saw this woman. God or somebody keeps creating women and tossing them out on the streets, and this one’s ass is too big and that one’s tits ...

and the sun wields mercy but like a jet torch carried to hi… and the jets whip across its sight and rockets leap like toads, and the boys get out the maps

this is important enough: to get your feelings down, it is better than shaving or cooking beans with garlic. it is the little we can do

Shirley came to town with a broken… and met the Chicano who smoked long slim cigars and they got a place together on Beacon street

I came out of the bar and checked the message board. The plane was on time. Katherine was in the air and moving towards me. I sat down and waited. Across from me was a well-groomed woma...

Our man was there to meet us, Gary Benson. He also wrote poetry and drove a cab. He was very fat but at least he didn’t look like a poet, he didn’t look North Beach or East Village or l...