nj
1963
i stood in the draft board
i was
98 lbs
pigtailed, silver fish ear ringed
gold lame’ coat
then i was naked
all those crew cut guys yelling
“sweetheart! hey sweetheart!
—how do people like him survive ??”
but i was naked
& my dick was average
your typical run of the mill medium sized Jewish dick
the sergeant
sat looking at my records
his forehead pushed up
like a washboard road
“what do you do for a living?”
“imma jazz poet”
“where doya work?”
“greenwich village”
“section 10—GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!”
i was the second person rejected from
military service that day,
the first person rejected down at section 10
was my old grade school buddy, konrad nubler
who i wasn’t supposed to hang out with back then
because i was Jewish & his family was from germany
but he was my first friend
& i showed him my circumcision
& he taught me how to eat bacon
later he wrote a thesis on what he called
nazi-americanism &
was promptly booted from school
konnie was dressed in a sandra dee skirt
an annette funicello hairdo
& a joan crawford dinner jacket
&
i had pig tails
gold lame’ coat
silver fish ear rings
we sat there
the 2 of us
down in section 10
the first 2 rejectees that yr
in the state
laughing
&
talking up the old times
while the boys howled & hooted “sweetheart! sweetheart!!”
on the way to the green buses
Speaking of...
-
Man Up: Expanding Our Definition of Masculinity
Feb 1, 2017 -
Esteemed Reader: December 2012
Dec 1, 2012 -
Graffiti of War at Wolf Gang Gallery
Feb 1, 2012 - More »
Hudson Valley Events
submit event
True to Form: Lalique Glass, Small Sculpture, and Garden Statuary from the Arkell Museum Collection
June 8-Dec. 30, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. — From around 1890 to 1930, fountain and garden statuary flourished in the...
Step Into Stillness
June 30-Sept. 21, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. — In the shade of a soaring oak tree overlooking the ancient Catskill...
Trending
Hudson: Off Warren Street
2021 Byrdcliffe Artists in Residence
2020: The Year in Photos
Chronogram on Instagram
Latest in Arts & Culture
It’s high time Chronogram made a newsletter about marijuana. Stay in the know with the latest on dispensary openings, industry news, cultivation tips, and more as we cover the emerging cannabis scene in New York and the Northeast. Welcome to High Society.
45 Pine Grove Ave
Suite 303
Kingston, NY
(845)334-8600
Partner Sites
