Nicky in the Crowsnest

of Thunder Bay . . .
reminiscing of friends in the south
some long dead - Milt, jones
We're back in '85

after the mandatory bookshop tour
storytelling begins - Milt, who else
deserves talks so tall and true

Nicky rants a la Acorn
FREE WILL! FREE THOUGHT! FREE SPEECH!
who can mount a rebuttal
to truths like these
Nicky rants on - hermit monk
in his beloved bookstore prison

we name old friends and frenemies
bissett, Jim Deahl, Briesmaster, Terry Barker,
Bruce Meyer, Virginia - whose mention
leads to Jim Christy
around, around the sweet  bullshit flows
tongues swirled by tins of Rickard's Red
but Red or not, neither can match
Milt's beautiful broken cadences

finally Nicky walks me to his dead end street
gifts me a rare Acorn broadsheet
The Post-Modern Word Man
so I ask in earnest
'any Unfinished Monument Press stuff you'd like?'
Nicky replies
"Have you got any of Shaunt's ashes?"




On 2017-09-09, at 5:14 PM, Allan Briesmaster wrote:

Thank you, Chris. Terrific poem and great photo!

Warmest regards to you, Nicky and everyone,
Allan

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Thanks, Allan  ;  )-
But I have to admit I stole both the title and the pic, tho. 'Looking down from the crowsnest of TBay' is a paraphrase of Nicky's comment in a litmag interview ca the early '80s. The pic I copied from a newspaper feature.

Trust you & Holly are healthy and well. I'm fine now back in 'The Marm', altho still tired from all the days of high speed driving!

peace & poetry power!
Chris

you can take the poet out of Toronto, but . . .

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Hey Chris--

Thanks for this lovely piece. Love the pic, too.

Thot to now send you 3 small things from my stays in Japan 1996, 2008

best,
gerry

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On 2017-09-10, at 9:30 AM, H. Novick wrote:

thanks Chris and wonderful to read about the great and warm-hearted Nicky.  bill's address is
Honey

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On 2017-09-10, at 11:02 AM, bill bissett wrote:

dere chris hi love th pome its brillyant
n sew selebratoree n loveabul 2 ahh
milton amayzing prson yes
thanks  4 sending it 2 me chris
love
bill

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Andreas Gripp has left a new comment on your post "Nicky in the Crowsnest":

awesome poem, Chris. Wish I'd been around the poetry world back in those days. Seems like a better time. Cheers.

Posted by Andreas Gripp to Riffs & Ripples from ZenRiver Gardens at 14 September 2017 at 07:44