Hey Walt Why Do Some Things Always Remind Us of Others

'You can call me Flower
if you want to, Bambi.'
Bam bi
Bam bi Lamp

I have a Bambi Lamp
I found it and it's mine.
I have a Bambi Lamp that
I found on a Chicago El train platform
in the trash
and now it's mine.
Someone's discarded. Trash. Mine.

I discovered this piece of this
Bambi. Fire. Run Bambi, Run. Man!
Man. . . man, on the southbound Belmont el platform
I found
This Loveable lost little lam . . .p
Huddling in the trash

It couldn't have been there for long
for nothing was on top of it
nothing was on top of the two pieces
The Bambi Lamp
and the Bambi Lamp Shade
The two pieces were both there
The two pieces possibly still intact.

I almost did not pick them up
'Something must be wrong I thought
Frayed cord. Broken switch. Holy shade.'

I thought.
But then I thought again.

But then I thought again,
'Why not?
I have no things Bambi at Home.
If it works I have a new light. A new Bambi Lamp
And if it doesn't I discard it in a dumpster
not far from where I found it'.

So I rescued this Bambi from the bin
of coffee cups, tossed Tribs and forgotten Times
never to be recycled
And headed homeward.

I walked proudly down Belmont
passed the regular Belmont fare
of flannel punks and Neon St. kids
passed Chicago Tattoos and Dunkin' Doughnuts
Bambi Lamp and Shade in hand.

Bambi Lamp and Shade in hand
I walked up Halsted and home.

Once there, I screwed in the bulb
I plopped on the shade
I plugged in the plug and
switch. . .

The light
The light of the once forgotten
The light of the once thought functionless
The light of the forest once again fell from
scenic Bambi shade on to
Bambi with blue butterfly on tail

fell once again on
the green grassy base
fell again on
the abridged Bambi Book
opened permanently to the
birth of Bambi page
'What are you going to name the young prince?',
the baby rabbit asked.
'I'll call him Bambi.'
the mother deer answered. 'Bambi'.
Bambi.
Bam bi.
Bambi Lamp.
I have a Bambi Lamp.
I found it.
It's mine!