What were you back in the day and now

[Veronique]

Back in the day...

Back in the day...

One early evening,in 1954, after having spent the day drinking
with Neal and me, Jack came home and announced,

"I'm beat!"

Jack's mother did not like Neal, and she didn't like me--
nor was she one to mince words.

"Jack, you're a beatnik, you no-good lazy bastard."

Allen Ginsberg happen to be in the house at the time
and thought the repartee worth repeating-- and a gen-
eration of writers was born.

"On The Road"

Recovering from a greedy chick,
Sal Paradise goes on a quest with Dean.
Sky-high on life, they dug the daily scene.
All roads were paved with yellow brick,
while the straight world thought them sick.
But, if their thoughts were none to clean,
they knew the price of grass and gasoline
from Yankee Stadium to Candlestick.

Five times across the continent they sped,
their souls unfettered, labeled 'Not For Sale.'
Like Omar and his famous loaf of bread
their wants were few and of modest scale--
a roach of Mary Jane, some Dago Red.
a pad to flop on-- sweet tail and good head.

Back in the day.
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