There was a period of time
(between Post Office and Women)
where Bukowski reportedly was celibate
for ten years.
Ten years. No nookie. What the hell?
I woke up the other day
and realized I was almost halfway there.
Again. What the hell?
~Bob E. Freeman
I found the change of scenery to be surprisingly uplifting, the heaviness that had weighed me down for so long was subsiding. Catching my connecting flight in Phoenix, I wondered about the chances of running into Charles Barkley, or Steve Nash.
Looking out the window, running along the conveyor belt, I wasn’t sure what to expect–what to look forward to.
Maybe I’d be able to get over her during this trip. There was definitely the prospect of other women, both young and old, but I was also going to get some fresh air, and a few early morning hikes would do me good.
An old friend was meeting me at the airport with the possiblity of revisitng old desires, harking back to a time when I made it all happen, yet was lucky if I could buy groceries for the week.
Things had completely changed, and for the better. With all the questions going into this trip, there was no question about the theme. Whether it’d be Eugene, Oregon, Toronto, or New York City, it was certainly time to move on.
~Edward Austin Robertson
It hit me at that very moment
crumbling herb at some party
in my t-shirt and blue jeans
that maybe my Spanish teacher
was correct.
True I was not hanging out
at the local Dairy Queen
and P & S,
but I wasn’t that far removed
from that reality.
High School graduation was already
2 years ago.
What was I doing?
I took a look around the room.
Everyone holding a drink
was either going or transferring
to a big university.
I didn’t even have a plan.
Working as a parking attendant
at the race track wasn’t sustainable.
What turned out as a minor curiosity
became an escape.
That night was the first inkling
that my emptiness
was something I could no
longer afford to ignore.
~Bob E. Freeman
I’ve known rivers:
I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the
flow of human blood in human veins.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.
I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young.
I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.
I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it.
I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln
went down to New Orleans, and I’ve seen its muddy
bosom turn all golden in the sunset.
I’ve known rivers:
Ancient, dusky rivers.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.
~Langston Hughes
that I’m going to live until the age of 84.
Somewhere in my 50’s
I’ll obtain a PHD so people can call me
Dr. Bob.
I will visit Osaka, Japan
and attend a baseball game there.
Perhaps I’ll even get to see the Cherry Blossoms
during my stay.
Then maybe somewhere around 60
I might be ready for another kid.
~Bob E. Freeman
Sleeping with someone you casually connect with
is almost as confusing as
sleeping with someone you don’t respect
(especially if you’re raw dogging).
Your body can trick your mind
into falling in love
or thinking that you did.
~Bob E. Freeman
Woke up on the floor to my cell phone alarm
going off.
Folded up my sleeping bag
and found my carefully hung up slacks
and collared shirt.
Slowly started dressing in the dark.
I visualized my goals–both long and short term,
then walked down the stairs
and out into the still morning.
My grace period was over
and it was time to put in work.
Goodbye Enemy Airship
Hello adulthood.
~Bob E. Freeman
I. High afternoon passions
her skin complemented
the living room decor
of my studio apartment.
Sometimes tender.
Sometimes erotic.
But never too aggressive.
II. The lowest of frequencies
brought us back
late one night
for some herb
and some tunes
and a little bit of tongue.
My intentions were mild
at best, but things grew raucous
with one casual click of the mouse.
~Bob E. Freeman
She told me that perhaps
I should take a break from romance
and focus my energies on being an artist.
It took me a couple of missteps
before I finally took her advice.
~Bob E. Freeman
Nuclear Polio Vaccination 