Without Lou Reed Around

Here’s a short tribute piece, an elegy that came together quickly earlier this week – a small offering from a listener, in memory of.

Without Lou Reed Around

Without Lou Reed around

         the real world starts to feel

under rehearsed.

Without Lou Reed around

you’re going to get away

with less.

Without Lou Reed around

you’ll find out how much noise

those one-chord wonder boys won’t throw your way.

Without Lou Reed around to set you straight

you’ll wish you’d paid

a lot better heed the first time.

Without Lou Reed around

bootworn floorboards ought not

to rumble like the trashed cones of blown subwoofers.

Without Lou Reed around

any silk-screened bananas

on leftover album covers will likely turn brown.

Without Lou Reed around

dog collars and lampblack lipstick

become a hard look to pull off.

Without Lou Reed around you’ll never know

whatever else it was you once

needed to know.