day ONE THOUSAND and FIFTY THREE

John Lennon has been gone 39 years. Here's something I wrote almost a decade ago:

the day after john lennon died

the day after

john lennon died

thirty years after

john lennon died

we are walking briskly

down 75th street

the wind off the estuary

smacking us in the face

one ear bud in your ear

one ear bud in mine

a little drunk

a little happy

singing instant karma

in the glow of christmas lights

hung outside the warm

homes of neighbors

we don’t want to know

we are children gone

just a little bit gray

free from the bar

free from religion

free from america

free to sing in the quiet street

as loud as we never are

and as i turn to take in

that large tree

the one dressed in purple

and red lights

the one that illuminates

the whole block

i think nothing is wrong

goddamn

if only for a moment

nothing is wrong in this world.

                                    12.10.10

--John Grochalski