Indigo Journal

The Love Song of Richard A. Eckstrom

Posted on 18. Feb, 2010 by Tim Kelly in Election 2010

With apologies to T.S. Eliot

Let us go then, you and I,
When the evening is spread out against the sky,
Like a pig stretched across Maurice’s pit;

Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets,
The muttering retreats
Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels
I’m willing to be your guinea (sp?) pig.

Streets that follow like a tedious argument
Of insidious intent.
I have a knock-down, drag-out B&C Board meeting at 9:30 in morning…

Oh, do not ask, “What is it?”
Don’t be such a freaking narcissist.

In the meeting, the cell phone rings
As I ponder “The Fisher King.”

The yellow fog that rubs its back upon you, Payne,
The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle on you, Payne
Licked its tongue into the corners of the evening.
I’m so very dense…some things will NEVER change.

And you say there is no time
(Diarrhea- you’ve used that thrice,
Headaches, tired and worn-out
You use that over and over,
Stress, politics, throwing up).
I’m clearly just your comic strip joke.

No time for you, no time for me,
But time yet for a hundred indecisions,
And for a hundred visions and revisions,
Before the taking of a toast and tea.
The NRA asked me to be the keynote speaker for their event.

In the meeting, the cell phone rings
As I ponder “The Fisher King.”

But indeed there will be time
To wonder, “Do I dare?” and, “Do I dare?”
Time to turn back and descend the stair,
With a bald spot in the middle of my hair-
But NOTHING stimulates GOOD workouts like a BAD breakup.

Do I dare
Disturb the universe?
In a minute there is time
For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.
I won’t be pushy though. I just hope that…
(end)

I have measured out my life with coffee spoons;
I know the voices dying with a dying fall
You know I’ll help you.
Hope you’ll let me.
Love to all.

For two years I dreamed of you being with me, dining with government leaders
Like I did tonight.
Don’t think of me as an Andre-type.

If we must part, let’s do so in kindness.
I hope you never thought I was flawless.
I should have been a pair of ragged claws
Scuttling across the floors of silent seas.

You go ahead and act as wacked-out as you want to;
It still won’t douse my love for you.

I am Lazarus, come from the dead,
Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all”
But you
Settling a pillow on your head,
Simply said:
“That is not what I meant at all.”
Yes, Then you willfully refuse to call.

But I have known them all already, known them all.
I’ve taken your incoming call
While meeting with governors, agency heads, giving speeches like tonight.

How can you love me and hate me at the same time?
What a feat!

I grow old … I grow old …
I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.

Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach?
I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon Myrtle Beach.
I have heard Seafare mermaids singing, each to each.

I do not think that they will sing to me.

Sorry for letting you down.
Hope you’ll at least keep my bumper sticker on your car.
If you can do it with a clear conscience, blame all this on me.

You can keep the football.

Tags: Richard Eckstrom, SC Comptroller General