Edward Dorn


Denver Upbringing


Down by the Mile High Stadium
Against a car from Elway Motors
the Bikers work a Trucker over
Just to relieve their Denver tedium

I had a bike once-they took it away
They gave me back my knife
Only the other day, but I don't care
I had a Denver upbringing

My mom was a crooked cop
My Daddy was a realestate creep
They never even went to bed
And they didn't even sleep

My daddy said you crazy maniac
you're never gonna wear that
Forty-five when I'm dead
You gonna drive your Grandma's Pontiac-

That's it, your one and only deal
She's sick and she's down in bed!
No way I said-I was outa there
Lit out to Loveland instead

My mom was a crooked cop
My Daddy was a realestate creep
They never even went to bed
And they didn't even sleep

My mom was a crooked cop
And she sent me to jail
She stole from the county
Then she stole from the city

She sent my rings to Arvada
And she took my ruby buckle
She took my SS Special Luger
And she gave it to my uncle

When my mom got the drop
My whole life was a mess
I tore it apart in Loveland
Which is Denver's bastard pup

My mom was a crooked cop
My Daddy was a realestate creep
They never even went to bed
And they didn't even sleep

Well you can have all my rings
And you can take my silver studs
And you can call me screwball
And you can steal my classy duds

But I've had a Denver Upbringing
And you can't take that away from me
And you can't steal my Freedom
Because I never ever had any.


© 1996 by Edward Dorn
Original GRIST On-Line publication

Edward Dorn's most recent book is Way West--Stories, Essays & Verse Accounts: 1963-1993 (Black Sparrow Press, 24 Tenth Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95401. ISBN#0-87685-905-8, paper, $14.00; ISBN# 0-87686-906-6, cloth, $25.00).

GRIST On-Line. June 1996. http://www.thing.net/~grist
Contributing Editor: Robert Bové