I Will Never Love Anyone the Way I Loved James Dean (poem)

Here is an audio MP3 of the poem, “I Will Never Love Anyone the Way I Loved James Dean” read by the author, Jane Piirto

In his red nylon jacket at the planetarium,

hiding out at the old mansion from that gang,

no cause to be a rebel: I would have loved him.

James—Jimmy—with his sidelong grin, those cute

glasses, shucks, blinks, a little wave in his hair,

shy, shambling, no football jock

a poet, not a hood.

Natalie as hot for him as for

splendor with Warren,

which reminds me of Shelley and her tragedy

with Montgomery, who reminds me of James Dean,

and there was Natalie mothering poor Sal, as I would have—

and your kisses, James!

I would have helped him too, Natalie.

Elizabeth, after Eddie-Debbie, you are not good

enough for the touch of him my mattress rose

and fell alone in my room with tears for crashes

in crushes in flames of giant lovers in Eden.

It was the purest love I’ve known for love’s sake,

in just 15-year need, the very greed for love

that’s unrequited. I murmured prayers to him before my prayer—

dear James Dean James Dean don’t be dead you can’t be dead don’t be don’t James

do James oh James oh.

I took up with Jesus soon after.

Publication information:

Piirto, J. (1979, Feb.). I Will Never Love Anyone the Way I Loved James Dean. Calyx.

(1986). J. Lipman (Ed.), Glass Will and Testament (p. 111). University of Toledo: Toledo Poets Center Press.
(1995). In A Location in the Upper Peninsula: Collected Poems, Stories, Essays. New Brighton, MN: Sampo Publishing.
(1996). Advanced Development, 7.
(2008). Saunas: Selected Poems. Woodstock, NY: Mayapple Press.