Wallflowers and Winter Walking

My love affair (and GIANT crush on Jakob Dylan) began about 12 years ago. I saw the video for "6th Avenue Heartache," and it was my first impression of the Wallflowers.

I did not know that Jakob was Bob Dylan's son at the time. I found out shortly after. I'm sure that is part of the appeal...I mean, the way he looks, the way he sings, the way he closes his eyes while he sings into the microphone....mmmmmm....

OK, I'm back.

The video had a bigger effect on me than just thinking that Jakob was hot. It reminded me of walking through Minneapolis with John as a teenager. For some reason, the memories I have are always in winter, although I'm sure we did plenty of rambling around in the summer as well. We used to hang out in Dinkytown all the time, have coffee there, shop at Ragstock (where I used to buy most of my wardrobe, in the "recycled" section), visit guitar and book stores. After seeing this video, I felt very strongly compelled to write a poem about John.

Now, I don't think this is the one I wrote, but it still is fitting. I can't seem to find the actual poem on this mess I call my desk. I know it's here somewhere, because I ran across it sometime last week. I'm bound to find it again.

I went home that night and wrote the poem, then called John on the phone and read it to him. If I find it I will share it. Until then, you are stuck with this little verse:

Minneapolis in the dead of winter
walking straight into the wind.
He laughed at my shoes,
a pair of silk Chinese slippers
I bought for $2 at
a store that smelled of incense,
in complete denial of
the season.
It was a comfort to wear
those little doll shoes,
to let the little girl
in me cry out for something
to remember that
would warm me like coffee
on those endless days of winter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdQyougLaSY