HEROIN

the first time
i heard the velvet underground
i could not understand the sounds
the understanding was far off from me
and i could see everyone waiting just through the gates
waiting for me to understand the velvet underground
to join them and i couldn't
what i could do was see it coming,
i could see the lights dimming
as just before carnal knowing
as just before the moment
'warm familiar'
when everything turns red
and adam says to you sit down
and when he lowers the lights
and everyone goes quiet
the song plays
the music keeps happening
the whole thing keeps going
but i would not have any of it until dawn
not until i was alone
listening with headphones at three in the morning
the body of the velvet underground approaching
my own vessel soon to collide
and off an improvised drum riff
in which the body of maureen "mo" tucker
overran itself and gave it away
the woman had no preclusions
the woman kept time as poorly as a drummer could
but no one could tell
her body had flown away
and no one knew that it was her anymore
she was never more of a stranger
and i was never aware of a gate.