all he wants are
words that confuse he likes
fat cars, hot moons,
fenders of abuse
he walks till midnight cause he can never stop
with his hands inside his boots he thinks of
jets and tigers, pretty leathers,
clubs a-go-go and the daily news
that tell him
of rip-up waltz, wind on
the earth, and the feeling of centrifuge
he dreams about pretty girls
he never knew and secret walks
and cliffs, soda and
window sills

tonight is a disease, wild
cause we heard so on the
radio with songs of beds of love
and moving rats
and the long day times that prance like lead
it’s been lovely you know
he knows a ride that makes us fast
and so we do it twice, which makes it
twice as nice and
if he takes us home
he’ll make us laugh
and dance, and dance into our past

Autumn, 1979
Camden, Maine

Previously published in The Archive, Duke University’s literary journal.

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Ricky Garni is a graphic designer living in North Carolina. “Teen Beat” was written in 1979 while listening to Gene Vincent’s “I’m Gonna Catch Me A Rat.” It is his first published work. Ricky’s “Wednesday” and “the wax & wane of ear nightmare” are also in Reprint.

Object(s) to bring back to life: “I would love to see the return of the family sitting around the old time Silvertone radio, listening to stories after dinner. Also, the family that came with it.”