Notes About The Poem

7/14/2019

"The Beat Generation was a literary movement started by a group of authors whose work explored and influenced American culture and politics in the post-war era. The bulk of their work was published and popularized throughout the 1950s. The central elements of Beat culture are the rejection of standard narrative values, making a spiritual quest, the exploration of American and Eastern religions, the rejection of materialism, explicit portrayals of the human condition and experimentation with drugs...In the 1960s, elements of the expanding Beat movement were incorporated into the hippie and larger counterculture movements." -Wikipedia: Beat Generation

Beat Generation

Long arm gendarme
My mistake namaste
Backpack bivouac
On the Road with Kerouac

Brilliant stars, silent nights
Fireflies, Northern Lights
Mountain streams, fresh air
Fall asleep anywhere

Small town, take a chance
Pig roast, barn dance
Allemande left!  Do-si-do!
Spontaneity here we go!

Long arm gendarme
My mistake namaste
Backpack bivouac
On the Road with Kerouac

Beat Zen's hey-day
Doing things our own way
Nonconformity, anything goes
Kerouac-Ginsburg-Burroughs

Shot to pieces, picking skin
Benzedrine, adrenaline 
Don't forget the Phenergan
Notify our next of kin

Long arm gendarme
My mistake namaste
Backpack bivouac
On the Road with Kerouac
Copyright © | Year Posted 2019

Poem

Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.

Please Login to post a comment

Wolf Avatar
July 24, 2019 at 7:46 PM
Masterfully done. Right there with you every step of the way. Ginsburg was my intro to beatniks... Right into the FAVEs. Great write, Mark!! :) gw
Toney Avatar
July 24, 2019 at 10:29 PM
Much obliged, Gershon, and I very much appreciate the Fave! ~Mark
Romios Avatar
July 15, 2019 at 3:28 PM
I was in SF at the hey day of the Beats. Hanging out with poets. It was a fantastic time in North Beach.Oh, that Italian coffee! City Lights Bookstore in SF on Broadway, Too. Your poem is great! They still are beloved poets On The Road, PR
Toney Avatar
July 15, 2019 at 4:08 PM
Panagiota, great comment! Thanks for sharing your experience. ~Mark
Get a Premium Membership
Turn off ads, get more exposure for your poetry, and get more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Diverse Voices: The Poetry of Human Rights and the Pursuit of Peace