jesus IS coming
he's a mexican
he's got a big heart
makes you wonder about norman mailer's intellectual prowess
worthless without a spark of soul
when i was in rotc at michigan, in the late sixties,
when bob hope came for a concert
there were protestors
they carried signs that read
"where there's hope there's death"
no wonder i turned out maladjusted
in 1985, when in shreveport, la
the independence bowl honored the vietnam veterans
i wore my vet center baseball hat
because i was into healing beyond political opinions
acceptance and welcoming home
bob hope was there to help present the award
before the football game he gave some of us a private audience
in some underground cement room
it was dark, he was by a light
and he told several jokes to applause and laughter
then he told
the one about the three legged chicken
there was a deathlike silence
except for me
i laughed as hard as i could
haw haw haw haw
then there was more silence
bob looked straight at me with a disdainful sneer
i'll never forget
nothing like canned humor
edog's got him beat hands down
oh yeah
during half-time, a double amputee marine in his uniform
accepted the award from bob
and all we veterans joined hands and raised them up in unity
except at the left end of the line were the black vets
i was next to the last white guy
he had a red beard
he was unable to clasp hands with the black vets
i saw them kind of huddle together alone at the end of the line
so they had to bear this burden one more time
ah yes a night of bob hope and rascism
welcome home
