Life – A Retrospective

When I was in college I hung out with a group that I thought were pretty Bohemian. Looking back we were all pretenders. We never liked being shackled by the laws of any authority. After graduation, we were all going to hop in a car and head west, working our way across the country, to see what we could see. The rest of the world and all it’s expectations be damned!

None of us ever did it. The universe had other ideas and one by one we were nudged, pushed, thrust, sent careening, or in my case, catapulted in another direction.

Speaking only for myself, in retrospect, thank God!

The Universe, in all It’s Wisdom, knew where I would wind up—living in squalor, drugged up, and ultimately dead at an early age. This was the height of the Beat Culture. Poets and writers like Snyder, Kerouac, Ferlinghetti, Creeley, Whalen and Burroughs emerged. As did Jones, Kaufman, Waldman. Beatles, Dylan and Baez were late comers, but all influenced by the Beats. I would have found that crowd—fallen in with them.


It is only now, at age 72, that the Universe has brought that culture-era back for my enjoyment through the CT Beat Poetry Festival that has been happening in the central Connecticut area from June 1st through June 8th at various venues. I have been going to some of the events, not because I know anything about these poets, but to support poet friends who are either moderating or reading. In the process I have started researching the poets to see just who they were and what is so special about what they wrote.

In reading their biographies I get that same old thrill thinking of being part of that Bohemian lifestyle. Being free. Having no man-made (or God-made for that matter) rules or laws to live by. Truth was god, but that truth was extruded from a mind made “crystal clear” by LSD and other drugs and put into words. Their Truths became poems, haikus, novels and screen-plays. This generation was more than Beat. They were Mad. They were Drugged. In reading their works I can understand a little bit of what they were trying to impart, but it’s the lifestyle that still excites me. I will forever be a voyeur into the culture that is called Beat. I will think about, dream about, go through all the what-ifs and savor my romanticized version of what was.

It all boils down to Freedom. The theme that has resonated throughout my entire life has been Freedom. I need to be Free. I’m happiest when I am on the move with no encumbrances.

Back to God in It’s infinite Wisdom. I had, and still have, more important things to do.