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Two Lennys

Bruce and Bernstein

By: - Sep 12, 2016

Two Lennys: Bruce and Bernstein

Double exposure
Teenage years
Two Lennys
Not joined at the hip
One was
Lenny Bruce
The other wasn’t
Lenny Bernstein
Connected to both
Bruce the ultimate hipster
Outrageous humor
The other guy
Odd connection
Like me Bernstein
Grew up in Brookline
But attended
Boston Latin School
Where masters
Years later
Recalled him
Practicing piano
His score for
West Side Story
Brought class
To Broadway
Then Hollywood
Bruce hounded
To junkie death
Killed by censors
Acid insights
Scorching
America’s dreams
Talking dirty
Bernstein’s demise
Gracing the podium
Fame and fortune
Less poetic elide
Smokes, booze and boys
Both off the rails
Odd influences
Yin and Yang
Forks in the road
Don’t fake it
Not fade away