Two Pauls + One Finger ... Photograph By Kevin O'Grady

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Somewhere in Texas 

 Pointing to California

_______________________

_______________ 

 

—Late August, 1968— 

Paul Gretschel 

was making 

his 3rd trip

to California

But this time,  

he 

was  introducing

the state 

to 

the other Paul

+

O'Grady

___________

_________

On one 

of his previous trips,

he copped some 

Haight Ashbury

LSD

and 

we imbibed

while discussing

Kierkegaard

and 

The New York Mets,

somewhere in

Missouri 

______________

__________ 

Two blocks west 

of 

Junction Boulevard

—on Roosevelt Avenue—

was 

O'GRADY'S EIRE BAR

__________

  ______________

That is where I met

Frannie Kafka

and 

Lollie Palooza,

who doubled as 

Brian Wilson's

inspiration for

Good Vibrations

__________________

__________

 

 In 2016,

I receive a phone call

from Long Island:

a friend had just read

Paul Gretschel

died 

the previous year

 

All attempts 

to locate 

Kevin O'Grady

were put to rest

at that time

but the memories

breath louder

every day 

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