The Oasis
Now (at last) living alone in Barstow
He loves getting a load of laundry
From the dryer and taking a nap
With the warm clothes on his head.
That's why he rented this room
In Barstow, because it comes with
A clothes dryer and with a washer
Too but he cares nothing for that.
With the clothes on his head he
Likes to remember the addresses
Of all the places he lived in his life
And when he wakes up he eats at
The Oasis. Try napping with clothes
On your head fresh from the dryer.
Pinochle
Today is my father's birthday, he's 130,
And although sometimes we are in touch
I do all the talking, no way around that.
If only I could ask him about his devotion
To the game of pinochle, all those years
Of the Saturday game with Charlie Shapiro,
Joe Wais, and Gus Golding, and after
Gus Golding died three-handed pinochle
With only Charlie and Joe. Furthermore
Starting around 1957 the games began
On Monday nights with Bob Kadison and
Julius Jaffe plus Sundays with Leo Messer
And Nate Zebelman. What was it about
Pinochle? Was it shouting out those bids?
