Thank You Masked Man

For Lenny Bruce

Tell it to the judge with the big belly and bored face

Tell it to the shy class clown

Tell it to your hilarious carnival mama

Tell it to your sober sulfur father who leaves you both alone

Tell it to that gentle kid in the navy

Tell it to the goofy aluminum siding salesman

Tell it to your grandmother’s seagull shriek at some random phantom flasher

Tell it to the stripclub prince with the vicious spitshine wit

Tell it to a woman famous for her nakedness

Tell it to her leering fans

Tell it to that compatibly bland big band who never laughs with you

Tell it to us with intricate cross-referencing associational dexterity

Tell it to the wives of nightclub owners chained in gold

Tell it all over again to another judge who says you look like a sinister character

Tell it to the guy who pow! gets a faceful of crap for sleeping on a religious holiday

Tell it to the amphetamine orgasm addict

Tell it to the stagestruck star who never wants to go home

Tell it to the steamy faces in Hong Kong Kitchen who ask where’s mama? after your divorce

Tell it to an outlaw standing under a huge flashing arrow in the night

Tell to the judge when he tells you he’s given you every break in the world

Tell it to the suicidal egomaniac pinball bing! bing! idealism flashing in the roots of your eyes

Tell it to the biggest blacklisted blackballed black bastard in all the loud wide land

Tell it once more to the judge presiding over the other judge who tells you no again

Tell it to that twisted mouth wincing at you in the mirror

Tell it to a man with nerves like sizzling wires

Tell it to one more man seduced by the venomous kiss of a promise of a cozy place to lay

Tell it to the bearded monster sprawled on a cold tile floor with a fang in his arm

Tell it to him who’s gwine up ta hebben in de big ribba boat god damn!

Tell it to someone who forgot about the clock

Tell it to us all now that you know

why the masked man flees thanks



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