Audacity and Love Will Come

By Pete Mladinic

Audacity

Courage to say after this, nothing, blank,
maybe.  Imaginable also unimaginable—on,
on, on with no me.  I sparrow-chirp
dewy buds, light on walls, the head of foam
on the tall draft are once only.  Then, nada
of lime and worms.  Down there, no party.
That’s for diggers, for openers of the gate.

Dead is for the living; for them, joy, despair,
believer's, I feel sorry for you!  I wage
no earth, no sky, no shepherd with a staff,
nothing. Whiffs of gum, wind-stirred sage
for the living. Ever had your face slapped?
Sister’s about to.  She wields a strong hand.
On her desk a globe stops at Switzerland.

Love Will Come 

Flex September 1964

Married to Joe Weider, a partner in Weider 
Enterprises, challenged to stay fit 
for my spouse and myself
I do inclined dumbbell presses for chest, 
fly aways for shoulders and deltoids, 
a Weider machine for glutes, thighs 
and calves, pulley pulldowns for triceps, 
for biceps dumbbell curls. Ladies, 
follow my routine to stay toned, conditioned. 
Guys, if you want Larry Scott thighs, 
Steve Reeves pecs, Leroy Colbert biceps, 
lats like Freddy Ortiz, take my tips.
You’ll see a leaner face, 
a body glistening with vitality in the mirror.  
Last month I wrote about the 90 day 
Muscle Beach workout,
to be done while intermittently sipping 
a shake of tiger’s milk
and Hoffman protein powder. 
I wrote about dumbbell rows, the Weider 
reclining bench. Exploring limits
I’m writing today about the whole person. 
Say you’ve got this great body, 
love is the spiritual finishing touch.
Keep consistent, watch what you eat,
in the gym stay hungry. 
Love will come.  It’s finding yourself 
and The one for you, dear reader.
Look for my forthcoming column
in Muscle Fitness and, if in Santa Monica,
stop by the Weider gym. Mostly, 
keep pushing, go forward. Love will come.

Yours in health and happiness,

Betty Weider