Herbert Nehrlich - Hey, Rod!

I wonder why I have not heard,
had sent a greeting to the man,
one of the heroes of my past.

'Hey, Rod', I teased, though stern of face,
'I know that all my work can be
seen by the critics and the folks
who are, in general too dumb to know,
as equal to the very best right at the top.
Which leaves you at the bottom of the heap
my much admired friend, or, one could say
In Someone's Shadow, after all the years.'

I never spelled it out, the naked truth,
who'd want to step on satin-softened toes?
I read them all again, the ones when LBJ
was scarier than letters from the draft,
and it is clear to me, unbiased as I am
that I have brilliantly evolved and am today
what we all loved him for as boys on cloudy days.

His agent had been eager, also pleased
and so assuring of the master's discipline.
'He'll be so flattered and will flatter in return
a word or two about your work will surely come.'

No. Not a word has come so far, from cyberspace.
Could be he'll write to me in flower poetry.

Herbert Nehrlich

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/hey-rod/