By E. Amato
It’s All Lou Reed’s Fault
III
It’s all Debbie Harry’s fault, Edie’s fault,
Andy’s fault, it’s all Woody Allen’s fault
because nobody and I mean nobody
on those incomes gets apartments like that
in Manhattan
It’s all Laurie Anderson’s fault
because she put the fear of dilettante in me
petrified I’d end up a deer-mouse
It’s all Mary Ellen Mark and Jenny Livingston’s
faults
for showing the real faces of the real streets
It’s all Patti Smith’s fault and Mapplethorpe’s
it’s all your faults
you know who you are
the ones whose eyelids
don’t close to life
who cut veins onto paper
bleed fingertips on guitar strings
spit blood into microphones
it’s all your fault
all ‘y’all up to no good
said, it’s okay to be wild
said, go head play with the dark
said, love like a wrecking ball
Thank you.
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THE CONE - ISSUE #8 - WINTER 2016