scarecrow poetics/essays
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
For Gio . . .
My son Giovanni's in the other room
as I sit here typing - wrenching my brain
I hear him in there
eighteen months old
pushing his red bus across the carpet
into
the wall
again and again - bam bam, bam bam
making up chatter-box words
in an unknown one-way conversation
as he goes
One-hundred percent present
in
the
moment
complete crunching bliss
And all
I'll ever want
is
to
be just like
that kid
in the now - always -
nothing added
Totally
with
God
Dan Fante 2007
Dan Fante was born and raised in Los Angeles. At twenty, he quit school and hit the road, eventually ending up as a New York City resident for twelve years. Fante has worked at dozens of crummy jobs including: door to door salesman, taxi driver, window washer, telemarketer, private investigator, night hotel manager, chauffeur, mailroom clerk, deck hand, dishwasher, carnival barker, envelope stuffer, dating service counselor, furniture salesman, and parking attendant. Fante is married and has a two year old son named Michaelangelo Giovanni Fante. He hopes eventually to learn to play the harmonica.
http://www.danfante.net/home.htm
Melrose Avenue at Four a.m.
Blood everywhere
on the car's seat
on the floorboard
and me
freaked and desperate and helpless
saying shit like - it's okay - you're gonna be okay - we'll be there in a minute - just hang on for chrissake
and more blood
Your shirt and pants sopped by it
your face white . . . drained . . . porcelain
an entire liver puked up - on the floor of my car
Hang on, goddamnit! Can you just hang on?
"I'm hanging on, fucker . . . . drive faster"
And all the love and all the lies of our friendship
the years of our days and nights together
have
devolved
to this
last careless ride
Okay . . . okay . . . we're here . . . can you hear me?
kissing your head as they wheeled you in
but
only later remembering
I
never
stopped
to say
goodbye
Dan Fante 2007
Dan Fante was born and raised in Los Angeles. At twenty, he quit school and hit the road, eventually ending up as a New York City resident for twelve years. Fante has worked at dozens of crummy jobs including: door to door salesman, taxi driver, window washer, telemarketer, private investigator, night hotel manager, chauffeur, mailroom clerk, deck hand, dishwasher, carnival barker, envelope stuffer, dating service counselor, furniture salesman, and parking attendant. Fante is married and has a two year old son named Michaelangelo Giovanni Fante. He hopes eventually to learn to play the harmonica.
http://www.danfante.net/home.htm
I ran into old Don
today
still checking at the Ralphs on Sepulveda Boulevard
after 25 big ones -
Looks like - just for a change - the boss is screwing them again on their pension plan
and the picketing they did and the strike that time
and the fucking honcho from the A F-of-L
all didn't do nobody no good whatsoever
The working stiff is still the lowest lizard on the food chain
Old Don's doesn't care - says he's retiring at the end of the year
no matter what
Says he's gonna spend full time at that place he built in Mexico
and slam his insulin twice a day
and fish until his hands fall off
And I'm cranking the starter in my Chevy out in the parking lot
when it hits me
I've been doing the only thing I ever wanted to do
- daily -
for almost twenty years
no union - no paid vacations - no O T
and no shit
I still can't get enough
Dan Fante 2007
Dan Fante was born and raised in Los Angeles. At twenty, he quit school and hit the road, eventually ending up as a New York City resident for twelve years. Fante has worked at dozens of crummy jobs including: door to door salesman, taxi driver, window washer, telemarketer, private investigator, night hotel manager, chauffeur, mailroom clerk, deck hand, dishwasher, carnival barker, envelope stuffer, dating service counselor, furniture salesman, and parking attendant. Fante is married and has a two year old son named Michaelangelo Giovanni Fante. He hopes eventually to learn to play the harmonica.
http://www.danfante.net/home.htm
