THE TRIAL OF JACK KEROUAC
« The bus came by and I got on, that’s where it all began »-Grateful Dead
SHERRIF
You’re in for vagrancy and hitchhiking.
KEROUAC
Yeah, yeah, I’m guilty — guilty.
For the crime of having no dough
of moving without a license
the crime of having a child without sanction of the State
the crime of believing in Buddha and Jesus at the same time
the crime of smoking weeds – – eating peyote and mushrooms
SHERRIF
Just my luck .My deputy has to lock up a poet-
and one whose verse runs longer than a freight train in the lonesome night.
KEROUAC
the crime of blowing poetry on television
the crime of becoming famous
the crime of not believing in my followers
the crime of accepting life itself as a trial
and letting no organization, state, country or religion
become an intermediary between me and the universe
SHERRIF
WHOAAAA. Alright already.
Don’t you have any friends that can give you a ride out of here?
KEROUAC
Not within a thousand miles, sheriff.
SHERRIF
Look, Kerouac, I don’t want to hear any more of this.
I just had a fight with the wife and I was looking forward
to a little peace and quiet tonight. Couldn’t you just get out of town?
Get outta town on the next bus. Here’s twenty bucks – –
and don’t even look back here…….
***********
HOOP FOR THE LOWLY
THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE TO SLEEPING OUT
HOPPING FREIGHTS AND DOING WHAT I WANTED
WAS TO SIT IN FRONT OF A TELEVISION SET
IN A MADHOUSE, SUPERVISED AND NODDING
WHAT IS A RAINBOW LORD?
BUT A HOOP FOR THE LOWLY
WHAT IS A RAINBOW LORD
BUT A HOOP FOR THE LOWLY
BETTER TO SLEEP IN AN UNCOMFORTABLE BED
UTTERLY, UTTERLY FREE
THAN TO SLEEP IN A COMFORTABLE BED
CONSTRAINED, SECURE AND UNHAPPY
I KNOW SOMETHING GOOD’S GONNA
COME OUT OF ALL OF THIS
ABOUT THE WAY WE FEEL ABOUT LIFE
YOU AND I AIN’T ABOUT TO BUST ANYONE’S SKULL
OR CUT SOMEONE’S THROAT FOR A DOLLAR
THINK WHAT A GREAT REVOLUTION MIGHT TAKE PLACE
WHEN EAST MEETS WEST FINALLY
AND GUYS LIKE US WILL START IT OFF
WITH THE TENDERNESS OF DON QUIXOTE
MILLIONS OF GUYS ALL OVER THE WORLD
RUCKSACKS ON THEIR BACKS TRAMPING
AROUND THE BACK COUNTRY HITCHHIKING
SHARING THE WORDS WITH EVERYBODY
JUST LIKE THE SAINTS OF OLD
WE’VE DEDICATED OUR LIVES TO PRAYER
AND WHO KNOWS THE WORLD MIGHT WAKE UP
AND BURST INTO A BEAUTIFUL FLOWER
OF DHARMA EVERYWHERE
**********
from Tightrope see web page
and YouTube
Tightrope 1