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Recorded Reading (3:24): https://www.dropbox.com/s/w1efhwud7zl46no/Givin%27%20it%20Up%20for%20Love.mp3?dl=0

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Givin’ it Up for Love

I was on an odyssey
In search a partner of
A bus to San Francisco
Was supposed to bring me love

Of course, when I arrived there
The gentleman I went to meet
Affable and am’iable
Intellectual and sweet

Turned out to be living in
The van which came to pick me up
And had such a bad attitude
I very swiftly got fed up

And calculated that a night
On station benches meant less pain
Than list’ning to his diatribe —
Told him to take me to the train

Only to discover
That station closed midnight to four
An overeager overseer
Kicked me out two hours before

When one is but a gypsy
In this world of slang and strife
These happenings do come along
To punctuate ones life

Lacking admission money
To any kind of a hotel
Prepared to keep a vigil
Keep it long and keep it well

I stood outside that station
Six full hours, and met the eye
Of every character the wee ones
Sent passing me by

That contact said a list of stuff
Like “I mean you no harm”
“You never know, I might get rough”
And “Neither one of us are warm”

Those crack and coke heads sure were kind
To anachronistic me
They hung out on that corner
And made sure I safe would be

One said as we were standing there
“I’m gonna have some powder soon”
Stood back and waited for me
To start dancing to his tune

I told him I don’t look down on
A little soiling on a dove
But it just isn’t me — I only
Give it up for love

That craggy brother’s eyes lit up
He slowly shook his head
“It’s been ten years since I heard
Anything like that,” he said

He hung out on that corner
For another good long while
Every few minutes turned to me
With a radiant smile

“Givin’ it up for love,” he said
I felt his close horizons lift
Just knowing I existed
Was to him a precious gift

Of course there were another one
Or two things left for me to do
A phone call someone had to make
Which I could help him to

And someone else who paused to rest
Asked me for a song
So I broke out my old guitar
He tapped his foot along

But of all the warm experiences
That I had on that cold night
The best was his expression
Of wondering delight

I could have gone back, done his coke
Held that sad dude in my arms
Warmed his body for one night
But what I did, his heart still warms

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Homeless until removal of the stalker/targeter/vandal/arsonist following her allows her to approach any landlord ~ even for a private parking space ~ this poet presently lives under perpetual threat of towing with all possessions should her 23-year-old van stop running for any reason.

She is badly in need of a modest reserve with which to field any emergency which might occur.

Donors may visit http://www.UgiftABLE.com , using code #72D-31S. It does take several days for the poet to be notified of your patronage.

Thank you for supporting quality in the fine arts.

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