Helter Skelter

[Knot]

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Hi Dale.

This poem is basically about allusions from that time period (the 60's) many are song titles or lyrics.

This I got (though I still can't place the opening line), which is why I thought the 'Man Called Horse' reference, being from a film, didn't really fit.

The cake/pie allusion comes from the song "MacArthur Park",

Again, this was clear as soon as 'cake' was mentioned (I included 'park' just to be sure) so the rest felt redundant. But then I was familiar with the song, might have been different otherwise.

Buddy Holly died in a plane crash, thus "kiss the sky".

'Crashing' implies 'kiss the dirt', at least to me

And didn't he die in the 50s? (Feels like you're taking a second bite out of McLean's pie)

It references the song "Spirit in the sky"

got the song reference (well, thanks to the Dr. and the Medics cover but we need not go into that) but not the NYT (though isn't that a different 'generation'?)

"Spook" a derisive name for the "Holy Ghost" now that disillusionment has set in.

But also a popular racist epithet of the time, or am I misremembering?

Best, Knot

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