Cannery Blues
The last time we saw Doc
He was done up in brass
Like he had a bug up his ass.

The scoundrels have
Decreed plunder and
Rending asunder galore.

Makes you want to
Weep, or vomit yellow bile.
Is that a friendly smile,
Or are you just
Unhappy to see me?

The last time we saw
Joe, it was me gotta go
All over again, played on
pump organ, an
Appeal to hearts
And minds, aye!

The cannonades
Will lead the parade
Of a thousand
Flaming skeletons.

If you have a better
Answer, have forth
With your romance, sir.
T’was in a canyon
That I left her.

Fame and fascination
Blind you to the need
For balance between
The base and the sublime.

The girl is gone, like
Every mother’s son
Kerouac, Cassidy
And the whole darn gang.

So here we sit, by the side
of the road. Fame and
fortune are folly.
---Jack Oakes 9/17/07