ladies and gentlemen,..the jiggling, oiled-up Mitzi!

my early preference in listening to rock & roll

above other forms of music was well established

by the age of 14.

in my lifetime, the 78 rpm

gave way to the 33 1/3 rpm

which gave way to the 45 rpm

which blew the doors open.

watching the earliest of Elvis on television in 1956

was akin to the primal, observational curiosity of man,
of how far we could take the planet whereon we lived. 

watching the earliest of the Beatles on television

in 1964 was simply witnessing the articles of surrender

being presented to the elders for their weary signatures.

but it wasn't the 4 mop-tops who caused international furor,

consternation, and charges of lasciviousness from the Holy See.

'twas the sweat-drenched Mitzi, singing and dancing her way

across the Ed Sullivan stage, tucked between two sets of Beatles,

like the burning innards of a hot tamale. 

remembering Mitzi Gaynor's

performance, 2/16/64