I'm Still Here

Today's post begins with a fractal called Serenity Infinity. It seemed an appropriate choice for a poem about reincarnation. Now--some info about what you'll be reading ...

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I'm Still Here was written by Stephen Sondheim for his Broadway show Follies. The song tells the story of a woman who's been through a lot of changes in her life yet somehow is still up and kicking. This got me thinking about someone who has lived life after live--and thus I wrote this. Hope you enjoy it.

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Good lives and bad lives. I’ve had ‘em all, now I’m here!
Happy and sad lives, short lives and long ones my dear, mow I’m here.
Had a coronary while playing cards
Crushed by a boulder–that was hard.
Been a Detective for Scotland Yard–now I’m here.
I spent a life making beer–now I’m here!

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I’ve been a wombat. I’ve been a Kodiak bear--now I’m here.
I died in combat, next life I lost all my hair--now I’m here.
I was a Monarch Butterfly.
Been Mahatma Gandhi-–what a guy!
I was a nudist-–don’t ask me why my dear.
I’ve been exceedingly queer–now I’m here!

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I’ve gotten through Crromwell and various witch hunts
Gee, that was fun and a half!
I made it through bubos but died of a flu bug.
What can you do but just laugh?

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Died playing baseball, lived through the Siege of Berlin–-now I’m here.
On the Titanic, died when the water rushed in-–now I’m here.
I was a bath slave in ancient Rome.
I was a trapper up in Nome.
I was a spinster who never left home-–now I’m here.
I milked a lot of reindeer. Now I’m here!

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I’ve lived with riches. I’ve been a mother of four–-now I’m here.
Sell-swords and witches–one life I begged door to door-–now I’m here.
I ruled a Kingdom in the East then I was trampled by a beast.
I choked to death at a feast. Now I’m here.
I’ve been the best to the least—now I’m here!

But I'm still heeeeere!

Chri$tma$ At Costco

Today's post begins with a fractal called Tis The Season. If you haven't already figured out the reason I chose the image then you probably won't get it from my explanation. ANYway--on with the explanation for writing this poem.

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I really like Costco: we buy the bulk of our food at Costco and that's where we buy our gas and get our prescriptions filled. I also love Christmas--the presents, the decorations, everything about it! But it bothers me that Costco starts putting out their Christmas stuff WAY too early! Thus I wrote this little ditty for your listening and dancing pleasure.

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It’s Chri$tma$ at Costco
Let the bells ring out with joy!
It’s Chri$tma$ at Costco
For every little girl and boy!
It’s Chri$tma$ at Costco
All the crap is on the shelves
It’s Chri$tma$ at Costco
So you’d best prepare yourselves.
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It’s Chri$tma$ at Costco
Lots of things for homes and yards
It’s Chri$tma$ at Costco
Buy a thousand Chri$tmas$ Cards!
It’s Chri$tma$ at Costco
A fully-decorated tree
It’s Chri$tma$ at Costco
Giant Stars in packs of three!
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It’s Chri$tma$ at Costco
You must not sit on the fence
It’s Chri$tma$ at Costco
Purchase lights and ornaments
It’s Chri$tma$ at Costco
Buy your gifts from here and yon
It’s Chri$tma$ at Costco
Come December its all gone
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It’s Chri$tma$ at Costco
Everything you want or need
It’s Chri$tma$ at Costco
Buy it now, yes, yes, indeed!
It’s Chri$tma$ at Costco
Get a gift for gal or dude
It’s Chri$tma$ at Costco
Be it tchotchkes, clothes or food
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It’s Chri$tma$ at Costco
Sound the horn and beat the drum
It’s Chri$tma$ at Costco
Yes that happy time has come.
It’s Chri$tma$ at Costco
And it couldn’t get much worse
Yes it’s Chri$tma$ at Costco
Since it’s just September First!

A "Politically Correc"t Nursery Rhyme

Today's fractal, Peachy, isn't relative at all to the image. I just picked it because I hadn't used anything of this color before. As for the poem--I remember reading like "in the politically-correct world of today's Nursery Rhymes relevant content is more important than that the poem rhyme or scan." At that point I just had to write one. The poem and image are dedicated to my two newest grand-nieces Madison and MacKenzie Manley who were born to their parents "Mance" and Mennifer" on July 14.

Little Ms. Muffet, a Mayor

Relaxed in a comfortable chair

After a refreshing jog.

A Spider of a different social strata

Approached her with an ethnic matter.

And she engaged it in meaningful dialog.

More "Free Association Bullsh##"--this time with Robyn's Help!

Today’s post begins with a fractal image called Zimple Zpiral. It has no relevance whatsoever to the poem below. (I just picked it because I thought it was pretty and it has a mostly-black background.)
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As for the poem itself, Robyn and I wrote it together way back in 1979: It was our first collaborative poem. We think it was supposed to be part of something larger but can’t remember what. In the end, I suppose this is just more “free-association bullsh#t that rhymes and scans. That, and I’m way to enamored of Lewis Carroll’s poetry.

ONCE UPON A NIGHTMARE

It was once upon a Nightmare
In the Land of Broken Dreams.
With a King who rules All Emptiness
Where’s nothing’s as it seems.
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The King dwelt in his palace
Of Fantasy and Light.
He chained the Sun so it would stay
And hide him from The Night.
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For he feared the Truth of Darkness
In a world he sought to bind
Lest some Dragon of the Real World
Blast the Gardens of his Mind.
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A Gift they brought unto him.
A Maiden Wise and Fair
A gift of love--or so they said
For the Kingdom dying there.
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He loved the maid and Wed her
And gave his pow’r away.
Then she Betrayed her Husband-King
And held him in her sway.
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She broke his Will. She broke his Mind
And killed The Land with Magic.
The King fought back but could not win
Which made his Fall more tragic.
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She drove him to the Brink of Doom
And set the Sun to fleeing.
The Truth laid bare, she showed him there
In the Darkness for his seeing.
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She buried all his wondrous dreams
So he could not see or feel them.
And laid a Curse on the tiny box
So he dared not try to Steal them.
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When she was done the King was gone.
(He would not Live his Fate.)
And she did not see his Final Jest
Until it was too late.
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For with his dreams the King had fled.
Into the Box she Sealed
And left him with a Wounded Soul
That never would be healed.
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So now there’s just the Nightmare
In the Land of Broken Dreams
And a Queen who rules the Emptiness
But her grief is what it seems.

Yestergay

Today's post begins with a fractal called Marital Pride and I'll leave it to you to decide the relevance to the post below. The first few lines of this riff on the Beatles' song "Yesterday" after I heard the word "Yestergay" on a VH1 program sometime in the spring of 2006. After reviewing this I'm not sure it's one of my best efforts but I thought I'd put it out for your perusal.

Yestergay
You were gay but now you’re straight today.
Your preference have gone the other way.
How can this be, my Yestergay?

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Suddenly
You’ve decided you’re as straight as me
And I wonder just how this can be.
Oh yestergay, came suddenly.

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Why this thing is so,
I don’t know, and you can’t say.
I said “something’s wrong!”
How I long for yesterday (ay-yay-yay) yesterday.

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You’d light up a room with your sashay.
Now you’re hitting on my girl today.
I don’t believe this, yestergay!

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Why this thing is so,
I don’t know, and you can’t say.
I said “something’s wrong!”
How I long for yesterday (Oy-vey-yey) yesterday.

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I don’t see
The point of metrosexuality.
Why can’t we all be what we’re meant to be?
Then we could all live happily!
Mmm-mm-mm. I don’t believe in–yestergay.

The Sunworshippers' Ballad

This poem (written in May of 1979) was inspired by a foggy day on San Diego Bay. I didn’t realize my skin had been cooked until I got back to shore and the sun hit me. (Ouch!) The fractal image is called Huitzilopochtili, named after the Aztec God of Fire. Read the poem and you’ll understand.

I’ll sing you a song of a handsome young couple
Sing nonny-nonny-ho, nonny-hey!
Their bodies were muscled, quite graceful and supple
Hey nonny-nonny-ho, nonny-hey!
But one day last fall
These two met their downfall
At the beach on an overcast day.
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The maiden she swam in the cool-blue sea water
Sing nonny-nonny-ho, nonny-hey!
And a youth and I watched what we shouldn’t ought'er.
Hey nonny-nonny-ho, nonny-hey!
And the Lord then us blessed
As the maiden undressed
To catch her some sun at mid-day.
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We watched from the shelter of high-growing plants
Sing nonny-nonny-ho, nonny-hey!
Said the youth “I must have her!” as he dropped his short pants.
Hey nonny-nonny-ho, nonny-hey!
Said I, “you won’t mind
I’ll remain in the blind.
You’ve no competition today.”
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The naked young rowdy approached the sweet lass
Sing nonny-nonny-ho, nonny-hey!
And she slapped him quite soundly--the lady had class
Hey nonny-nonny-ho, nonny-hey!
She ran for the water
And that’s where he caught her
And dragged her protesting away!
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But her screams of dismay very soon turned to laughter
Sing nonny-nonny-ho, nonny-hey!
As the maiden found out what her young man was after
Hey nonny-nonny-ho, nonny-hey!
And while I boldly watched
They danced and debauched
All their pleasure was there on display.
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And after the romp the two fell off to sleep
Sing nonny-nonny-ho, nonny-hey!
Then in rolled a fog that was quite thick and deep.
Hey nonny-nonny-ho, nonny-hey!
And I saw with sad eyes
What a nasty surprise
They would get at the end of the day.
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She sunset was nigh she awakened her swain
Sing nonny-nonny-ho, nonny-hey!
She did it by screaming and yelling in pain
Hey nonny-nonny-ho, nonny-hey!
For although it was Autumn
Her back and her bottom
Were cooked like a well-done filet.
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He awoke to her moaning and added his cry
Sing nonny-nonny-ho, nonny-hey!
“Sweet Jesus and Mary! I’m going to die!”
Hey nonny-nonny-ho, nonny-hey!
On his back he had lied
And his “beef stick” was fried
(What did you expect me to say?)
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I took them and bathed them and put them on ice
Sing nonny-nonny-ho, nonny-hey!
(I did it because I‘m so terribly nice)
Hey nonny-nonny-ho, nonny-hey!
For their horrible pain
Nearly drove them insane
And “I warned you” was all I would say.
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So there is the lesson--you can take it from me
Sing nonny-nonny-ho, nonny-hey!
The advice is quite good and I offer it free
Hey nonny-nonny-ho, nonny-hey!
For a burn without sun
Isn’t very much fun
So beware of an overcast day!

Thus one was inspired by Robyn's Mom...

Today's post b3gins with a fractal called Roses for Mother since it was Robyn's Mom who inspired the work. She once said: "you're so talented and creative--why can't you clean up after yourself?" and I was off and running. In the end I think it expresses the frustration that parents often feel with their children. And, as you can see--I've also been writing silly doggerel for many, many years. (I've also been doing strange things with capitalization . . .)

Can you hear my silent song?

A chordless melody

Can you reach the farthest star

And bring it down to me?

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Can you say some garbled words

That cast a Spell of Love?

Can you climb the Stair of Smoke

That leads to Realms Above?

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Can you see the Mystic Jewel,

The Key to the Crystal Maze?

Can you shine a Bacon Light

To penetrate the Haze?

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Now can you move the World for me

And make the Sun stand still?

Then can you turn the Moon to cheese

And then go eat your fill?

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My dear your gifts are great enough

To halt onrushing Doom.

But though you do these won'd'rous things

Why can't you clean your room?

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