RHYMES AT RANDOM
In a comment to my last post (CERF’S UP), I raised the possibility of re-publishing several of my poetic baubles from THE RANDOM HOUSE TREASURY OF LIGHT VERSE. Generous soul that I am, suppose I add a bonus of bangles and beads to the baubles….for man does not live by words alone, but with the inspiration of Blyth spirit beautifully begetting beguiling music, without which our Kismet (fate) would be drab indeed:
Yes, my friends, I have rhymes — or, conversely, should I say….
And now, having strung my lead-in out this far / I wish upon a wishing star / to make appear my Random rhymes / from the pages of bygone times. / These rhymes abode in poems four / nothing less and nothing more / but not having used up all my string / I’ll save one of the poems for my next post-ing:
LOVER BOY
Narcissus was too perfect for sex or pelf —
He longed only to gaze in love at himself….
The moral of which is that, even in myths,
Too much reflection may be your nemesis.
THE BOOK OF WISDOM
Thou shalt not commit adultery;
Nor shalt thou covet thy neighbor’s spouse.
Shouldst thou succumbeth to temptation,
Thou shalt not do it in thy neighbor’s house.
CONCEIVABLY, THE COMPLEAT HISTORY OF HUMAN SEX
Adam and Eve,
I believe,
Were the start of it.
Everyone since,
I’m convinced,
Played a part in it.
NOTE: Ann Blyth, who played Marsinah (daughter of The Poet, played by Howard Keel) in the film version of Kismet, is one of the last surviving stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age.
calmkate 1:14 am on May 30, 2017 Permalink |
nice poetry, thanks 🙂
the shortest poem I know
FLEAS
Adam had ’em
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mistermuse 7:02 am on May 30, 2017 Permalink |
Adam must have been quite the dog
For fleas to go for him whole hog.
😦
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linnetmoss 7:16 am on May 30, 2017 Permalink |
Haha! I had to look up “pelf” to see if it meant what I thought 🙂
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mistermuse 8:01 am on May 30, 2017 Permalink |
I came across the word many years ago, but I don’t remember where — probably in something written by someone like Noel Coward. For the benefit of those who don’t know Coward, he was a sophisticated English playwright and composer, and “pelf” means money or riches.
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linnetmoss 4:01 pm on May 30, 2017 Permalink
Along similar lines, I predicted that P. G. Wodehouse uses the word somewhere. And indeed he does, in a poem called “Printer’s Error”:
http://wrecktangle.blogspot.com/2004/08/printers-error-by-p-g-wodehouse.html
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mistermuse 4:58 pm on May 30, 2017 Permalink
Thank you very much for the P. G. Wodehouse reference — love the poem, which abounds with such delightfully idiosyncratic words as BOUNDER, GADZOOKS, and BLIGHTER (in addition to “pelf”). Indeed, you can do research for me any time (but without pelf)! 🙂
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Mél@nie 4:30 pm on June 1, 2017 Permalink
ah, Noel Coward… we do know him over here! 🙂
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Ricardo 2:08 am on May 31, 2017 Permalink |
Was trying to figure out which of my childhood cartoon characters was fond of saying “Gadzooks,” so I Googled it and came upon its etymology instead: “Dictionary references date gadzooks as far back as the late 1600s as a shortening of “by God’s hooks,” a reference to the nails on Christ’s cross.”
Suffering succotash, as Sylvester the cat, one of my ‘gadzooks’ suspects, was also prone to saying.
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mistermuse 11:42 am on May 31, 2017 Permalink |
I seen to recall a long-ago cartoon character saying “Gadzooks” too, Ricardo, but I had no better luck than you with a quick Google search. If any bounders or blighters out there remember who it was, please speak up or forever hold your Gadzooks.
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RMW 2:54 pm on May 31, 2017 Permalink |
Now I have to dust off my Kismet DVD from the back of the cabinet and pop it in my machine. I’ve been revisiting my musicals collection recently… that one will be next.
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mistermuse 4:49 pm on May 31, 2017 Permalink |
I selected the two KISMET songs for this post based on how well they suited my purposes. I think the best songs in the show (or at least the ones I like best) are NOT SINCE NINEVEH, NIGHT OF MY NIGHTS, and THE OLIVE TREE. The only one that became a big hit was STRANGER IN PARADISE.
Enjoy your DVD!
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RMW 12:28 pm on June 7, 2017 Permalink
Night of my Nights.. as sung by Richard Kiley, not the Damone movie version!
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mistermuse 5:12 pm on June 7, 2017 Permalink
You apparently have the original Broadway cast (including Kiley) on your DVD — I have the same on an LP album. Both Kiley and Damone sing the song well, but Kiley was also a distinguished actor, whereas Damone was strictly a pop singer whose acting left something to be desired, in my opinion.
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intrepid8 11:21 pm on June 1, 2017 Permalink |
You like Poetry. Have you ever read Pablo Neruda’s by any chance?
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mistermuse 7:10 am on June 2, 2017 Permalink |
I have come across a poem or two of Neruda’s, but have not specifically sought his work out because my talent and tastes lead me in the direction of humorous and light verse, such as that of Edward Lear, Ogden Nash, Lewis Carroll and, of course, that “greatest of all humorists, Anonymous.” That doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate serious poetry if it’s right down my alley, but my alley is relatively confined.
Thank you for your comment.
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Don Frankel 2:19 pm on June 3, 2017 Permalink |
Muse I was thinking this music is really beautiful. Like some wonderful fate, like kismet. Then I realized it is Kismet.
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mistermuse 2:46 pm on June 3, 2017 Permalink |
Kismet has a storied history, Don. It was first produced on stage in New York in 1911 and on film in 1930 and again in 1942 starring Ronald Colman and Marlene Dietrich. The 1950s Broadway and Hollywood versions (starring Alfred Drake and Howard Keel, respectively) contain one of my all-time favorite musical scores.
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