Klamath Union High School

a classic, civic red brick building
in a bullish old ranching, logging town
in parched Oregon,

it's "progressing" in industry
(see the robotics factory)
but Changing quite slowly:
(the latest VH1 fashions mean less than little enough)

the remembered Hallway floors are a fading, fading tan
coupled with institutional reddish orange;
the drinking fountains are lukewarm
except in the Athletics building where
they're like ice

the halls were and are rife
with cruel and vulgar calls

down in the lunch room,
the vegetables are not alive
and young American minds assimilate the fat of factories...
but it's not rancid

There are also warm, confident smiles
stocky, jovial, Brutish, friendly chaps...
and lovely, felt flute song
drifting out of the musical study.

and between flailing tennis sets,
I'd oft watch Nubile multi-ethnic stars
shoot along the asphalt track.
Buxom stars... their light was sweet, "muey bonita"

also, there's ancient and new knowledge...
it lights up the classrooms
tying every developing mind,
for better and worse,
to the canons of long silent wars
to new Breakthroughs in chemistry

usually, I would eat lunch alone in the library
deprived of refining human friendship
following stocks and bonds

occasionally down at a coffeehouse
with some brilliant acquaintances-
a lamb with pristine curly german blond hair
and dark, puerto rican Jimmy, etc.

a bulky red brick school
in a cold, rough town in Imperial america:
if I'd only opened my heart a bit more
Vivacious Yellow Roses
would've grown out of the hallway walls!!