REQUIEM

Up against the wall of my womb I was already

grooving to someone’s kitchen radio out there

playing "I’ve Got You Under My Skin"... and

at five, my twin-sister cousins already had me

be-bopping to "Dance With Me Henry"…

 

and on one seventh-grade summer night,I first

steered a summering city girl ’round the roller

rink as the Danleers crooned "One Summer Night"…

I smoked my first cigarette singing

"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" and, like you,

 

cut my guitar-pickin’ teeth on

"The House of the Rising Sun"… enrolled

in college on "The Eve of Destruction"…

graduated "To Sir With Love"… and then

soundtracked all the rest of my days to

 

the likes of Billy Joel, Dr. Hook, Harry

Chapin, Johnny Cash and Elton John… so

hey, when I pass? Play some things I’d like,

OK? Really make a joyful noise for once,

why don’t you? Give me a juke box funeral…