Poetry Flash - Twenty four

by Laurence Rice

PETER PUSSYDOG and TIM JACOBS regaled the Haight-Ashbury's U.S. Cafe in January with a boisterous poetry performance involving costume, kazoo music, and a bit of the old slap-arid-tickle. In the first third of their hour-and-a-half set, Peter cavorted through a series of hilariously gross poems, song lyrics, and sing-alongs (The crucified virgin lies bleedin' / The Christ child is drinking her blood / Blaspheme, blaspheme / Get everybody uptight uptight) to the punctuation of Tim's blues harmonica, stopping occasionally to adjust the flashing lights on his elaborate costume (vaguely reminiscent of a theater marquee). Aa a climax Tin played "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" on a kazoo while Peter read a masturbation poem and pulled a phallic-shaped candle out of his pants. After a short break Tim returned to read his own quietly powerful poetry, which was a refreshing contrast to Peter's lightheartedness. (I saw the flowers, like broken gears / turning in the wind). Then Peter rejoined him and the two traded serious poems for the closing segment. All in all a delightful evening for the SRO crowd.

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