Author: bill

bruce and i are getting married on july 11 — two days before our 30th anniversary … we were never big on the marriage bandwagon (see “i don’t want to get married” on this site under “poetry”) … but we’ve come around …

this is a lyric, henry krieger wrote the music for a song for our friends john and marcia goldman who were celebrating their 25th anniversary … of course, my inspiration was bruce … the song will close our wedding ceremony — performed by our friends nick cearley and eric lesh

 

people ask us how we’ve lasted
so many couples don’t survive
like a feast to one who’s fasted
i can’t wait ‘til you arrive

reviewing years
of every-daying
too rich and full
to comprehend
i sum it up
by humbly saying
i’m married to my best friend

yes, married to my best friend
no company i’d rather share
i know that the laughs
and adventure won’t end
i’m married to my best friend

i am grateful fate was smiling
on that day when we first met
ever since we’ve been compiling
memories we won’t forget

we’ve weathered storms
we’ve kept on going
we’ve held the road
each twist and bend
and you’re the reason
i keep growing
i’m married to my best friend

yes, married to my best friend
no company i’d rather share
i know that the laughs
and adventure won’t end
i’m married to my best friend

listen, my children
and you shall hear
of a time less kind
to being queer
a time when gays
were rarely seen
on the small
or silver screen
when even the l-word
was deemed obscene
and few were aware
what queen could mean

 

a time before
gay clubs were in

a time when love
was called a sin
if it didn’t fit
in a rockwell frame
if it dared
to speak its name

 

a time when no one
even spoke
of couples made
of bloke and bloke
or bird and bird
unless some rancid joke

was heard
whispered in a private club
or yelled out
in a rowdy pub

 

a time
when brave souls
risked their limbs
and risked their lives
acknowledging their deepest drives
were to connect
with their own kind
in body
and of course in mind

 

a time
when most would never think
to proudly march
instead of slink
into the dark
and cramped confines
of closets
where the old designs
of society and church
were hung
and stored
with hatred’s fetid dung

 

so listen, my children
and you shall hear
how far we’ve come
away from fear
how those before you
braved the wrath
of reverend
and psychopath
and stood their ground
to love themselves
and free their kind
to be at peace
in home and mind

 

and though our progress
is hard-got
and we are in
a better spot
still many battles

must be fought
a lot has changed
a lot has not

i wrote this in 1983 … time was not kind — they both went to jail for a while for selling drugs and then one of them died from aids … i’ve lost track of the other … but at the time this was written everything was fab – u – lous

having business to do

in the wilds of l.a.
i asked the von bon-bons
if i might stay —
rent a room for a month
at the chateau des garcons
with its pools
and parties
and plethora of phones

 

“but of course!” screamed eureka
“we’ll have oodles of fun
dancing and dunking
and drinking the sun!”

so i packed up my life
and headed out west
and joined the von bon-bons
in their fabulous nest

 

my room was a palace
my days were a breeze
with every convenience
to put me at ease
the pleasures could fill
an encyclopedia
and needless to say
they give excellent media

 

convivia and eureka von-bon-bon
the dears
run business and home
and coddle the queers
and the machos
and other fun sorts
who stop by for nachos
and water-type sports
though their first names may have
a feminine ring
they are often quite butch
and less queen than king
the von bon-bon estate
would make boy george cheer
“abandon all gender
ye who come here”

 

convivia in the kitchen
making milk and honey
eureka in the parlor

being very funny
and i with my night-cap
observing the scene

this is what “gay”
was invented to mean

 

then they’re off to the east
or the south or northwest
peddling their glasses
and the rest of the wares
designed to elicit

envious stares

von bon-bons know fashion
from bottom to top
when you see what’s for sale
you’ll shop ‘til you drop

 

dorothea von bon-bon
whose lineage is royal
has the essence of charm
and the absence of toil
she lounges all day
in sartorial splendor
barks at all comers
and sniffs at their gender

 

spotorina von bon-bon
stops by now and then
and we’re all too, too tasteful
to ask where he’s been
some things are better
left unsaid and unknown
and we’d rather not ponder
where spot’s fur has flown

 

i’m feeling quite wistful
that my stay’s at an end
i’ve made a few bucks
and many a friend
the style is high
and the living is good
when you join
the von bon-bons
of west hollywood

i really enjoy
hanging with you
your perspective as fresh
as morning dew
your adventures amusing
and so far-flung
but how dare you be so young

 

your friends are intelligent
talented
cute
energetic
and often astute
your crowd is exciting
to be among
but how dare you be so young

 

don’t you realize
everyone dies?
our lives a procession
to our demise?
and the further down
that path we roll
the more time takes its toll?

 

you don’t get allusions
common as dirt
or references
known by the alert
or at least by those
not recently sprung
how dare you be so young

 

your sleek physique
your glowing skin
your little tush
your waist so thin
all leave me lustful
and unstrung
how dare you be so young

 

the quest for truth
the muse you seek
the blush of youth
upon your cheek
all so charming
and jejune
yet alarming
gone so soon

 

i want to say
”enjoy, enjoy”
but such advice
can well annoy
i’ve been carefree
then time stung
how dare you be so young