at the party
for the world famous poet
who wrote great fiction

a rare bird

he had been called
the genius
of the crowd

in spirit some years now
but still remembered annually
on his
birthday

the great author's editor and publisher had recently
announced his retirement
selling his maverick western press
in a helluva deal
to the
big establishment boys back east
so this one for him
as well

the great author
and the great publisher
much like Elvis The King & Colonel Tom The Visionary
as they had
with inimitable style
and certain character
created quite a name for themselves and
one another

and as a result
had become fairly well heeled
in the process

in the course of the years
the poet and writer
became the stuff of legend
inspiring legions of
upstarts
critics
and pretenders
pen in hand
to come gunning

but he was matchless

unique

and in life
or death
could never be beat
at his own
game

there to honor
the writer and the publisher
were
poets
musicians
journalists
writers
film makers
artists
librarians
teachers

many who knew him and those
that knew of him

video cameras

his daughter and only child
with the young grandson
that he never knew

other children of the guests gathered
around the t.v.
watching videos

while in the garden

poems were spoken for him
verse written for him over food and drink
songs sung in his honor

tales of turbulent times
and salad days
barroom brawling
a young man who cheated death
and a life in Hollywood
the post office and
the track

how the two giants of small press had come together

and an old man who was to complete his final
work wired to a hospital bed
remembering how he was once
"incredibly young"

chances are he wouldn't have approved

a restaurateur told fantastic stories of
incredible wines and welcome laughter

the infamous public behavior when high on the grape

as the sun set
snapshots pinched the evening
in fits of astonished
light

his photographer was there
to present a slide show projected across the swimming pool
and against the wall of the house
that words built

a life of letters
preserved in pictures

at the party's end
the widow of the great poet and writer
gave the great editor and publisher
a private and heartfelt gift
to honor the years of friendship
loyalty
and collaboration

when called upon to speak
all that the publisher had to offer
was that the great author
thru it all
had always
been
honest

there really isn't anything else to say

Billboard at the corner of Hillhurst/Sunset & Hollywood Blvds.
in Los Angeles, August 2002 Poem by S.A. Griffin, photo by Jesse Hopkins.

click to view