Mick Jagger Is Not Afraid And Neither Should You Be
for Ross Martin

there is a way a certain notion of moving that will make
you immune to any real criticism for instance a simple
pirhouette in perfect time on the one-count of most of what
passes for rock music harold bloom would be the only person
who would disagree with me here but what does he
know about movement the man is a freakin planet anyway
how in the fuck would he move he’s so large and in charge
when most of us see mick move even on a huge screen
it’s a spirit we’ve all lost to artifical tans and synchronized
swimming maybe some of those in the hollywood nostalgia
camp would like what’s going on but not mick even on screen
he’s understated in a way most of us could only hope to be
when he juices up a lame composition it’s like no other or
when he tries to put out solo albums that are distinctly modern
it’s exempt from what most of us would call lame or the anxiety
of being like him because he’s well he’s him for chrissakes there’s
no influence involved and so I said to my friend ross there is no
reason to be afraid of reading your work in public even when
other guys are trying to be modern with cool-ass shirts why because
mick jagger is not afraid and neither should you be

–first published in LIT, #7, 2003