More than fifty years ago a Minnesota kid wrote “Song to Woody.” More than four years ago an Arizona kid drew “Song to Bobby.” (He’d just seen I’M NOT THERE.) And just yesterday that same kid did another would-be tribute to his favorite songwriter:

The illustration includes references to “Like a Rolling Stone,” “Mister Tambourine Man,” “Positively 4th Street,” “Simple Twist of Fate,” “When I Paint My Masterpiece,” “Jokerman,” “Blowin’ in the Wind,” and “Leopard-Skin Pillbox Hat.”

These are the words to the double acrostic:

Begin with a North boy’s decision–he’ll leave Minnesota behind
Beguiled by a Dust Bowl declaimer–by hard times & music defined
On east to a Village whose voice was–just right for the dissolute skinny
On coffeehouse stools for performing–like many a Tom Dick & Vinny
Betokening change for the better–came Capitol Records, & vinyl
Baroquely, the folk went electric–& then came a trauma near spinal
Befuddlement presaged conversion–an episode, not a novella
Bold “Jokerman” waxed infidelic–a multiambiguous fella
Yes, his wont’s to want contradiction–like sallowness under a zap tan
Yet he achieves TRUTH via fiction–& lyrically he is the Captain

I close with the marquee of a wonderful event held annually in Old Town of Cottonwood, Arizona. Last year I was privileged to sing with Joe Neri and the Mystery Tramps, who had audience members sing seven of the ten verses of “Desolation Row.” I got the one with the reference to Ezra Pound and T.S. Eliot. My voice almost broke on “The Titanic sails at dawn,” but I had a strong finish. [smiles]