Sweet Sixteen

Certainly one of my better poems, inspired by Barry, Bernice's Brother's 16th 
birthday and by his mother's concern that he and all the children stay within 
the Jewish fold. Barry was a great golfer in high school. I don't know why he 
didn't try to turn professional. He actually trained me to get par on one hole. 
Then I quit golf forever.

Sweet sixteen and never been kissed
The Statesboro shikses don't know what they've missed.
But now that you're going on seventeen
With the girls you'll soon no longer be green
And Mama in sneakers is running around
Tracking you down like a hungry bloodhound
Because when you'll the be the shikses embracing
The whole Jewish neighborhood you'll be disgracing
So Pop will find you an old Jewish maid
Whose trained in the arts - she's cooked sewed and prayed
So if you think now that Statesboro stinks
Just try moving your balls off the links.

December 1971.