Vienna Poem by gershon hepner

Vienna waits for you, but not for me.
Although the memories of that great city
are burned into our minds, I don’t think we
should ever go back there. Here’s the pity:
although the city waits, we’ve altered and
that same Vienna we both loved so much
is now beyond our grasp, because time’s sand
has slipped between our fingers, and we clutch
at straws if we attempt to bring the past
alive. It was romantic to be there,
but though its loving memories will last,
they’re now like sweetness in the desert air.
While we slow down, we must not rewind fast
the tapes that were recorded in past time;
their themes are dies that we have cast,
as obsolete as that of Harry Lyme.

Inspired by “Vienna” by Billy Joel, who is ranked sixth among the top-selling artists of all time, behind the Beatles and Elvis Presly but ahead of Elton john and Barbra Streisand, and memories of Vienna,2007, which Linda and I visited together in 2007:

Slow down you crazy child
You're so ambitious for a juvenile
But then if you're so smart tell me why
Are you still so afraid?
Where's the fire, what's the hurry about?
You better cool it off before you burn it out
You got so much to do and only
So many hours in a day.
But you know that when the truth is told
That you can get what you want
Or you can just get old
You're gonna kick off before you even get halfway through
When will you realize...Vienna waits for you

Slow down you're doing fine
You can't be everything you want to be
Before your time
Although it's so romantic on the borderline tonight (tonight)
Too bad but it's the life you lead
You're so ahead of yourself
That you forgot what you need
Though you can see when you're wrong
You know you can't always see when you're right (you're right)

You got your passion you got your pride
But don't you know that only fools are satisfied?
Dream on but don't imagine they'll all come true
When will you realize
Vienna waits for you

Slow down you crazy child
Take the phone off the hook and disappear for a while
It's alright you can afford to lose a day or two
When will you realize...
Vienna waits for you.
And you know that when the truth is told
That you can get what you want
Or you can just get old
You're gonna kick off before you even get halfway through.
Why don't you realize...Vienna waits for you
When will you realize...Vienna waits for you.

7/20/08