H e a r t S o n s & H e a r t D a u g h t e r s of A l l e n G i n s b e r g

N a p a l m H e a l t h S p a : R e p o r t 2 0 1 4 : A r c h i v e s E d i t i o n

ANDY CLAUSEN

Lenny

Lenny ahead of his thoughts

like an electrically shocked cartoon

a marionette manipulated by spasm

and somehow its body language

shouts love me love me just love

cranked like the assembly line

in Chaplin’s Modern Times

like Charlie dodging bullets

during the prison break scene

the words spewing out of control

as he analyzes himself

on his back on the stage

coaxing himself to get up

and do his gig, the narcs the feds

the powers that be want Lenny gone

his life in shreds and the crowd

laughing thinking it’s a shtick

no one will rescue him Lenny knew it

but Lenny wouldn’t quit

the great comedian is not funny

the clown’s make-up runs

the audience hides, friends hide

doctors pull Pontius Pilates (out of hats)

Caiphas, Hoover, the legions of Rome,

The legions of indecency, the gestapo,

joe friday, the hypocrites, the vultures,

the maggots, the south east north & west

there’s no direction for Lenny to go

after up & down are exhausted

all that’s left is out

Yeah Lenny you were funny & smart

you were brilliant always interesting

and relevant but what I most admire

is your guts

You didn’t let them take you alive

(Author Note: After seeing footage of

Lenny’s last performance sometime in

the seventies with a chill running up my

spine no horror flick could come close to)