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Solero Taylor's avatar

4TH JULY

Jefferson, Adams and Washington

All died on Independence Day, the celebrations

Presumably too much for them, perhaps

Frightened (like dogs and cats) by the fireworks

On the plus side, Garibaldi

The Italian nationalist, was born. Louis

Armstrong, the trumpeter. Gina Lollobrigida

Jack Johnson broke John Jeffries nose in Reno

And the Communist Manifesto was published

My great-grandfather was named after Garibaldi

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Tommy Swerdlow's avatar

Having lived LA for forty years I just love the way he uses "Alvarado Street like that says it all because it does. He could find them anywhere and if you took him to Yosemite, he'd find them there though they wouldn't sound like Thoreau (I know Walden Pond was not in Yosemite). I used to see him at Hollywood Park on the clubhouse level, leaning against the back wall with his racing form. I wanted to scream "Chinanski you fucking lunatic, who do you got in the seventh?" But I didn't want to be "that" guy or god forbid try to read him a poem. Besides, we were both at work, me in a suit because my holocaust survivor mother in law was a gambling addict and turf club member, and they had a dress code. We went everyday to gather the crumbs and make our dope habit. If I had told Bukowski that he might have appreciated it or might he have just told me to fuck off! Both would have been good.

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