On those Grounds
By Jack Joseph Smith
As a child
I had a chance
To take you for your word
You get to be the best
You know about the places
people put things
Up and down
Lost and found
You can see it all again
You knew about the power
You could see that thing
You never liked the indifferent
You could only trust
The old men
The one eye
Then the laughter, the wanting
to be you again
You knew all about it
You knew what it ment
Later French literature
Had you hanging out
in the park
To exercise your will
with a format
That if not asked
Will not look back
Or give up
The dime or the dream
The pain at the edge burns
When thirst touches the tongue
with to much thought
So I reverse the transcendence
And I am in the Spring
of nineteen fifty three
Right on Beverly Road
and Chuck Berry
is in a white Cadillac
Just arrived at the intersection
and I actually saw him smile
Golden it was unjagged glitter
while I was making up my mind
Two years before he did it all
Before the big time
Let him be as natural light
Not forgotten as such a given
To turn and tune where caught
And there the fans went to prison
We and they still catch the lyric
It will take you as far as you can get
Like a behind the back round ball
All the way through Juvenile Hall
And there ever after
Let me interpret
Let me repeat
You need no intent
To find the way you never heard of
Just never be a no show
And you will be cool
As the light changed
With the rest of the world
And Chuck Berry drifted on
Beeped his horn,
and said especially to us on the scene;
yeah, now that is what is important...