Dylan at 80: A Sonnet of Appreciation
by John Kendall Hawkins
.
Been around almost as long as the war
with Russia, a child of Odessa blues,
who spat at Ellsberg*, like Dad did the Tsar,
went hunting Woody's career, filled his shoes,
got himself condemned by the left and right --
became the Wandering Jew, harp and guitar,
on a Tour that goes till God is in sight,
strumming sold out white man's blues near and far.
Broken innocence mirrored everywhere,
and dark eyes, lost souls, including his own,
but even late, more ghost than man, he's there
at the borderland where stars turn to bone.
Just crossing paths with an anti-hero:
We always meet at Love Minus Zero.
*Daniel Ellsberg was still a war-planner when Dylan was a kid singer.
*
(Article changed on May 23, 2021 at 2:27 AM EDT)
