Red and White

Today I read Mary Biddinger's poem "Partial Credit Syndrome," and in it there were key words that took me back in time, over 35 years ago. When I heard Mary speak last September, she talked about beacons. Somehow Go Ask Alice, Tab, and terrycloth rompers became beacons to me today. 



In the 1970s, I read Go Ask Alice
and started to drink Tab.
This was before Diet Coke.

In the 1980s, I wore terrycloth rompers
that long weekend at Turnberry in Miami Beach.
I had worked hard to lose weight,
get fit;
Jane Fonda in the morning,
and Diet Coke in the afternoon.

I wore mostly red and white that
weekend. Except for the rompers.

I saw Gloria Vanderbilt in a white terry
robe at the Turnberry Spa, no make-up,
her entourage surrounding her.

And Stephanie Powers at dinner.
Tried hard not to stare.

It was when I dined on stone crabs
for the first time,
and saw the beat-up buildings
that were to become South Beach.

1985. I was turning 30-years-old.
The world was opening up.