If it's a poem you want
Go and be precious
be in your rain parade
stampede on the promenade
and by gum pass the pomade.
Air raid drill
duck and cover
take a pill,
because you're
over the hill,
often bitter,
but never shrill.
Abendigo
and Shabazz,
and Fats Domino
wailing about
blueberry thrill,
the cat's in the bag
we're doing that rag,
life's gotten to be
such an excruciating drag.
You can change the channels,
you can change your stripes,
but you all can never never
change you life for better or ill.
Dancing brigades
tapping on tablas
save your sha-la-las
for some Shangri-Las
no dream can fulfill,
your destiny to dwell
in heavenly abodes
amid snowy sanctuaries
for spirit, soul and hell
If I know you so well
and you know me do tell,
why do you support
a crop of mushrooms,
Zen abbots,shakuhachi
and shake rattle and roll
ready, steady, ready set go
ollie ollie ollie oxen free free free?
Fly a kite, climb a tree,
swim a creek, sting a bee
fly a lark, buy a park,
dog a bark, pitch a fit
with nary a stitch nor
a farthing to your name
free free free bumble like bee
Mozart and Muhammad Ali
Ain't he a lot like you and me.
Oh the plans we made,
oh the pranks we played
oh the huzzahs and hurrahs
we claimed in this dullard's charade.
Bingo, Ringo, hocus pocus ee-di-eye-ocus
All that was lost shall be regained
All that was confused shall be explained.
It's as simple as tit for tat
and this and that,
Shaking them bones,
rolling them stones,
Tides spinning frenzies
just to see the sea foam,
frothy with fury.
We of the jury
being of sound mind
do heretofore and henceforth
advise and decline
to reminisce and renunciate
the denominations annunciate,
pronunciamento, pickle and pimento,
prosciutto and Tony Rizutto,
parmesan and Roman song,
romancing, entrancing,
entrapping, enrapturing,
capturing the flag,
Red Rover and the
white cliffs of Dover,
most perplexing
my dear Holmes,
give a dog a bone,
dodge ball, cartouches,
Russian roulette
and all manner of subterfuges.
If it's a poem you want,
look no more, look no mirror.
---Jack Oakes |
