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6.
IT'S FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL,'HUH?
A This adolescent is like Walt
Whitman's child who "-went forth
and whatever object he looked
upon, he became." He is still
,soarching for his identity. The
girl face, the goat mouth, the
'shipping clerk hands with the
kscarred knuckles don't piece toe
gether into the lank hundred
pounds of elbows and knees. Loose
impulses flash in and out of the
5
"with one more hour, one more night,
one more day somehow to be killed."
tired grey eyes squinting against
the sun. His words come out now
vague, now blunt, but always
puzzled.
IT'S FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL, HUH?
eoorded by Herman P tnow
ber of the staff of the
Federal Wri rs' Pro est New York Cit
This adolescent is Walt Whitman's
'kind who *went f whatever 40b
jest he looked on, tha he beessie.m
He is still se eking for identity.
The girl fas the geat mout the ship-
ping clerk ds with the sear knuekles
den't pie together into the 1 hundred
peands elbows and knees. Loose pulses
flash and out of the tired s
sq ng against the sun. His wI di ems
out vague, now blunt, but always p
zl
I could turn out to be the biggest success if it vuzalt for
one thing I can't play dirty tricks on people. I duano, I like
to be with the guys that are buokia it, not duokia it, ya know what
I mean? I despise the Buskers. I'm this depression generation
I san'twait. I gotta go off and do sumthin big right away. Get
sumthin virgin and play it. Play it big. But nuthia happens ar-
ound here. Why is that? Some man Iv= talkie to in the park
here once told me about Moses, how he used to go around like this
too until he got disgusted. After a while, he said, the elder guys
they died off, than Mae. wuz boss. Is that a fast? I gotta wait
the same as Moses? It's from time immemorial, like the man said?
-2
my personal idea if things wuz different I could amount to sumthin.
I Gould be a leader maybe. A Capone, a Sohultz, one a them, not
one a the mob. Like Mesas way on top. Why not? I some from
smart people, I got what it takes, I catch on quick to anything....
Hey lookit. Them two girls holdin each other around. Is is true
about them? Jeet, motto shame. They're pretty Didja ever
read the Well of Loneliness? I did. I get the best boob: outa
the library, it don't help. I dunno, books don't do me no good.
Why is that? What's wrong with me anyhow? I gotta snap out of it...
One time last spring I hithh-hiked to Phil4 for three days. It's
a funny thing, hitch -hiking, maybe you got a million worries on your
head but you hit the road and everything disappears like magic, you
forget everything. When I got back to Now York it las one in the
morning. I didn't feel like goin home so I coils over to the park
hers and I laid down right on this bench and stood there all night.
There wuz other guys on the other benches and I laid there with my
eyes open and looked up at the stars and before I knew it the
sparrows wuz siagin in the trees. I dunno, I don't never feel
lonely in this park, I like it here. I aorta find friendship, I
guess. That's important, ain't it? That's the dreamy side of me,
I suppose. I like it that may Sumtimes I go to a movie, then
I walk around thinkin. Lots& things. The whole world. Money, for
instanoe. Supposin I won a bit prize. 'Mat would I do? Would I
spend it or put it away in the bank or would I go nuts? bometimes
-3-
I go to the movies twice a week and I play this gams &memo.
Every day somebody is winnin, I never won once. That way I'm
different from other people. No luck. Ya know if I von? I'd
go ahead and buy a whole outfit and sail off to some island.
Some place nobody over gone to before. In Atria& or Australia
or South America. One of them places. -I'd buy a gun and a
knapsaek and breeihes and boots and a knife and a maskinaw and,
I dunno, I guess I'd travel. Nowhere in particular. Just travel
around And then again, maybe I wouldn't. Maybe I'd spend
the whole money on my old lady. Send her out to Lakewood for
the sinter. Ya see what I mean? There's two sides to my mature.
'Oat's the difference? I don't win anyhow. Maybe I don't deserve
it. I wuz always the flower of the class the bloondn idiot. How
hard I try I can't control myself from boil' bad. I'm always thinkin
of things that don't de me no good. Riddles and things what's got
no legs and walks, or what's got eyes and san't see)or what turns
without movin. The trouble is I got things on my mind.0
,1,,aeAmisesk-k
for
well" you kagtr4.1jranted-to-Ao-otembhiltrweuttisuni—Illarr. do ye think
ne
guics_tjagisgir.a.t-eowimdbabke..basterulat.• linnm‘
that?s.-tki.mz or Can
asehirke)i Jeez1 When the stork brought me to my old lady he
musta said to her: "Nuts to you, madam." ikist—thibt-4asa—aasr
t
40Ltai-igefisetemiita rberer.... I dunno, it's too mush for me, I
can't make it out. Maybe it's like that man said to me mite;
"It's from time immanorial, son." All I know this kinda life
is givin me pimples. I got no more moral standards. What do
you think, that yeast stuff they talk about on the radio is
that good for pimples?
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