it was the year computers were invented
they were so large we had to hire cars
to carry them around I mean huge cars
the size of queens speaking of which
people were all into Tarot then and
Jack Spicer and cinnamon
so we said let's go to a park
read the cards and some poems
and have cinnamon toast which
we had made in our toasters
not realizing by the time we got
to the park the toast would be hard
and the butter would have congealed
so we said let's go to a Be In
and talk to Ginsberg instead
we did and I met him told him
I loved that poem at the beginning
of his latest book, Snacks for Creeps,
and he replied, Oh that old thing,
I'm not even sure it's a poem
--Ruth Lepson
Ruth Lepson is poet-in-residence at the New England Conservatory and often collaborates with musicians. Musical settings will be available at the Pressed Wafer website when her book with them appears in the spring. ruthlepson.com
they were so large we had to hire cars
to carry them around I mean huge cars
the size of queens speaking of which
people were all into Tarot then and
Jack Spicer and cinnamon
so we said let's go to a park
read the cards and some poems
and have cinnamon toast which
we had made in our toasters
not realizing by the time we got
to the park the toast would be hard
and the butter would have congealed
so we said let's go to a Be In
and talk to Ginsberg instead
we did and I met him told him
I loved that poem at the beginning
of his latest book, Snacks for Creeps,
and he replied, Oh that old thing,
I'm not even sure it's a poem
--Ruth Lepson
Ruth Lepson is poet-in-residence at the New England Conservatory and often collaborates with musicians. Musical settings will be available at the Pressed Wafer website when her book with them appears in the spring. ruthlepson.com