The Oasis / Pinochle [by Mitch Sisskind]

The Oasis

Now (at last) living alone in Barstow

He loves getting a load of laundry

From the dryer and taking a nap

With the warm clothes on his head.

That's why he rented this room

In Barstow, because it comes with

A clothes dryer and with a washer

Too but he cares nothing for that.

With the clothes on his head he

Likes to remember the addresses

Of all the places he lived in his life

And when he wakes up he eats at

The Oasis. Try napping with clothes

On your head fresh from the dryer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pinochle

 

Today is my father's birthday, he's 130,

And although sometimes we are in touch

I do all the talking, no way around that.

If only I could ask him about his devotion

To the game of pinochle, all those years

Of the Saturday game with Charlie Shapiro,

Joe Wais, and Gus Golding, and after

Gus Golding died three-handed pinochle

With only Charlie and Joe. Furthermore

Starting around 1957 the games began

On Monday nights with Bob Kadison and

Julius Jaffe plus Sundays with Leo Messer

And Nate Zebelman. What was it about

Pinochle? Was it shouting out those bids?

Comments

[Tony Paris]

"Pinochle" is a home run.

[Joel Weiner]

I'm happy that Charlie Shapiro, Joe Wais, Gus Golding, Bob Kadison, Julius Jaffe, Leo Messer and Nate Zebelman all brought joy to your father and his pinochle family of friends. That's what friends are for, to bring joy among each other. Father Sisskind is looking down on his son, Mitch, with hopes that he also is bringing joy to his family and network of poet friends.

[mitch sisskind]

Thx for kind words --