14,406. BRAVERMAN THE OASIS

BRAVERMAN THE OASIS

At the Waverly House Hotel, in,

yes, Waverly NY, the red brick

outside wall is covered with an

old chewing tobacco ad  -  for

'Red Man' Chew, a once-steady

framer's blend of chaw. Baseball

player's too. I used to use it when

I plowed the fields and hayed the

Gustin Meadows, though it mostly

just wrecked my teeth; stupid stuff.

Raw, and coated with some form

of wicked sweetness, maybe a

molasses mixed in the curing.

-

It made one spit a lot, and by

necessity too. Big slurps of ugly

brown used to slap on the tractor;

never going too far, the spit, for

being so thick and heavy. Looking

back now? Quite disgusting, even

for 1972.

-

Then, later, when I began motorcycle

riding, big-time hordes, in packs,

I'd spit into the wind and the crap

would get all over the guys behind 

me. I heard about it lots, and that was

really gross. 'You sum'bitch, you catch me

with that shit again and you're doomed.'