SERENA was the dog; KARENNA was the girl; from which dreams were born; and time was never planned. We dreamt of lovely things; we had hearts that flew on wings; to NEVER, NEVER LAND. We had a treasure because we’d got there; more precious far than gold. And because we had finally gotten there; we would never, ever grow old.

KARENNA was my HOPE DIAMOND that I’d stumbled on from a box of CRACKER JACKS. We lay on the twin bed in her bedroom watching the CAROL BURNET SHOW. Her beautiful eyes implored me. “All I ever wanted was a loving husband to come home to and watch TV with.”

“I want to be married.”

“To you.”

I never bought KARENNA the plastic ring in the plastic capsule from the vending machine at WOOLWORTHS. I didn’t have to. She was my very own AUDREY HEPBURN; my very own HOLLY GOLIGHTLY.

She embraced me on a MIDSUMMERS’ NIGHT’S dreamscape; in drenching rain; after we’d found her cat; that had run away.

I’ve already been to HEAVEN. KARENNA took me there.

She turned away rich kids from GREENWICH; with daddy’s garaged LINCOLN on demand; their own TRIUMPH; cute little MG; MUSTANG; GTO or LOTUS; guys with fathers in PARK AVENUE corner offices; running WHITE GLOVE WALL STREET LAW FIRMS and BANKS chased KARENNA. They had the pockets of the HUGHES’ and the ROCKEFELLERS; for BAUBLES; BANGLES and BEADS at TIFFANYS; lavish spreads at reserved tables at 21; EL MOROCCO; LA BRASSERIE and the FOUR SEASONS; vacations in MARTINIQUE; private jets; an allowance for KARENNA’S rent; and a credit card for their first choice TROPHY GIRLFRIEND.

All KARENNA ever wanted; from the instant her eyes first met mine; from our rear bedroom sixth floor facing windows; was the poor JEWISH boy who’d bounced through two broken homes; snaking through a dozen relative and foster home environments by age six. I never spent a penny on KARENNA. I didn’t have to. She never wanted anything from me; except for me to be hers; and hers alone, till death do us part.

I was the only act in KARENNA’S three ring circus; under her big top.

She asked me once. Do you like me being beautiful?

Once, all 5’4”; 122 lbs. of her announced to me; “I want you to watch me taking a bath.”

She soaped herself with AMARETTO; foaming; glistening bubbles; my shimmering; glistening PRINCESS GODDESS, VENUS APHRODITE. I wrapped & massaged KARENNA in a great, white terrycloth bath towel.

In her bedroom; that night and every other; KARENNA was more of a wild animal than human being; self-assured of her magnetic desirability; like no other peer; like no other girl. Only a battle hardened; hopefully a NAVY SEAL; could survive her bedroom assaults. It wasn’t a forgone conclusion I’d live; with no possibility of escape. A ten year LAS VEGAS SIEGFRIED & ROY WHITE TIGER APPRENTICESHIP would have helped. A RINGLING BROTHERS; BARNUM & BAILEY; under the BIG TOP; GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH center ring; MASTER CERTIFICATION as a FLAMING HOOP TAMER & TRAINER of
GIANT CAT HUNTERS OF THE JUNGLE; would’ve been better. I had to be ready for anything; maybe the dying flick of MOBY DICK’S tail; that HERMAN MELVILLE used to kill QUEEQUEG.

KARENNA said it so beautifully, touchingly, hauntingly; preciously; as never said by another girl; to another man.

She would have paid; begged; borrowed or stole five dollars for our marriage license.

She said “WE’RE A PAIR.”

I wanted KARENNA twice as much as she could ever want me. I turned my PARADISE POSSIBLE, into PARADISE LOST.

The impossible went wrong; in our happily ever after; second chance, dream-come-true SHANGRI-LA PROMISED LAND; twice, forty seven years apart.

All we ever wanted & needed; was what we had with each other; till death do us part; telescoped into hatred of her POLITICS; SOCIAL CONTRACT; CLIMATE; MILITANT FEMINISM; CASTRATION OF AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM; ALPHA MALES; a powerful MILITARY; ANTI-CAPITALISM; RACIAL DOGMA; 35% GOVERNMENT GNP; assault on CHARTER SCHOOLS; and PRE-SCHOOL THROUGH DOCTORAL HARD-LEFT; STRIDENT; ORTHODOX; DOCTRINAIRE; SECULAR; CODE WORD “PROGRESSIVE” MAFIOSO EDUCATION INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX JOBS CARTEL.

At 23; the PROPHET had two LUTHERAN DOCTORATES. As BONHOEFFER warned GERMANY of lies a sick nation wanted to believe; so too he would warn AMERICA. No matter in what disguise the THIRD REICH; or AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS comes; it is the same BLACK MAMBA.

“LOVE TO ME IS YOU – THE BLACK MAMBA;” chronicles the thousand year EDUCATION INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX REICH. Our RICHTER 9 romance; was parallel railroad tracks that never touched. We were rings of SATURN in DIETRICH BONHOEFFER’S “CHEAP GRACE” vs. “COSTLY GRACE;” radio warning to GERMANY; cut-off in mid-sentence; by ADOLPH HITLER’S jackbooted thugs.

In AMERICA today; as in GERMANY in 1933; BONHOEFFER’S ADMONITION is our COMPASS. In ADAM CLAYTON POWELL SR.’S HARLEM ABYSINNIAN BAPTIST CHURCH; where BONHOEFFER taught SUNDAY SCHOOL; AFRICAN AMERICAN SPIRITUAL GOSPELS became his ‘CONFESSING CHURCH:”

4 FEBRUARY 1906 -
9 APRIL,1945

BONHOEFFER’S THREE SENTENCES DWARF EVERY HOLY FATHER; MESSIAH; PROPHET AND SAINT COMBINED.

“NOT TO SPEAK, IS TO SPEAK.”

“NOT TO ACT; IS TO ACT”

“SILENCE IN THE FACE OF EVIL, IS EVIL”

This is why BONHOEFFER was stripped naked in the cold; and strangled to death over six hours. He said no to “DEUTSCHLAND UBER ALLES; DER FURHER UBER DEUTSCHLAND. BONHOEFFER was the difference; for GERMAN JEWS; between ZYCLON B and SWITZERLAND. “CHRISTIANITY isn’t about CHRIST. CHRISTIANITY Is about us; suffering as BONHOEFFER died.”

This is AMERICA, in 2016.

For us it’s not too late.

Soon it will be.

“THE BLOOD OF MARTYRS MIGHT ONCE AGAIN BE DEMANDED.”

Our BLOOD; if we really have the COURAGE and LOYALTY to shed it; will not be INNOCENT; shining like that of the first WITNESSES to our FAITH. In our BLOOD lies HEAVY GUILT; the guilt of the UNPROFITABLE SERVANT; who is cast into OUTER DARKNESS. It is INSUFFICIENT for the CHURCH to BANDAGE the VICTIMS under the WHEEL. We must JAM THE SPOKE of the WHEEL ITSELF.”