Slightly Ambivalent Homage to the ’60’s

Crucible in which we burned,
smelted like alchemical alembic,
stinking as we purified.
What strange mutations
we became, hoping this
was metamorphosis,
not metastasis!
Each saw
a shining kingdom,
and each conspired
to get there
any way he could.
Some did not
survive the effort.
Some lassoed a vision
and pulled it to Earth,
only to find it empty.
Some died in jungles,
Some got mired
in jungles of the mind
and then
went underground
and disappeared,
detoured down to Hades,
only one day
to push up from
the Earth again,
small, bright shoots
of green
 

About the Poet:
Max Reif has published three books of poetry, Canticles for Meher, Every Day Music, and Journey from here to HERE. His forthcoming book of stories, Toward an Interior Sun, is being published by The Mindful Word. He has also just recorded a CD of songs, titled The Wake-Up Man. His poem, Jazz Kahuna, which appeared in POETRY BREAKFAST, has been nominated for a 2016 Best of the Net Award. He lives in the San Francisco bay area with his wife, Barbara.

 

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