ACCOUNT OF MY DAYS
Sequence: 4
YOUTH OF AMERICA
sex now is not the sex it was
in my time sex was held like a day-late event
some of the people who might not have been there
were able to attend
others who wanted to come couldn't
there was a shore
with only a slim strip of sand
a wider belt of green leading up to a stone platform
where the cows were tethered
the clothes we wore didn't flatter us
and what we said was frankly stupid
sex was a boat tied up at the dock of sanity
there was a picnic lunch in it
but the picnic had been cancelled days before
and the lunch was no good
sex had an old dog
I remember this clearly
an old dog who could pick up pennies with his teeth
we liked that part especially
tossing pennies in front of that old dog
the sex of other people
was different but complementary
like two halves of a zipper we always said
in those days we always had sex
instead of a haircut because the barber was lovely
there we were in front of the TV
this was early TV mind you
and sex walked into the room sat down at the piano
and began banging out some damn boogie woogie thing
we had to ask it to shut up
the TV was on
where was I
oh yes youth of America
you don't know real sex
sex as it was before you were born
er maybe as it was that caused you to be born
anyway sex was sex was sex was sex was
sex
so if you think you don't have to be grateful
to me or anybody like me
just remember gas was cheap then
we went for a drive
wound up stopping someplace for a hamburger
so I forgot all about you
am I not allowed to forget