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.

 

 

TWO BAD

Well, no one has blasphemed against the one-line poems in my last post, so by all that is holy, I should forget about my threat to up the ante with a post of two-line poems this time around. Ha ha — I’ll forget when Hell freezes over! Although no one commented to complain, I expect the thought crossed the minds of some….and even if it didn’t, the very suspicion demands consequences. Consequently, I am left with no choice but to proceed with the poems I intended to post anyway, and it serves you right!

My first two-line poem is unWitt(er)ingly brought to you by….

SPIES LIKE US*

We measure success
one imposter at a time.

*If this title sounds familiar, but you can’t quite ‘picture’ it….there’s always Google! Ha ha ha!

THIS IS A TITLE

Sometimes a poem
is entitled to be obvious.

ENVIRONMENTALLY CORRECT [previously published]

Poems don’t grow on trees….
however, some are recycled.

HEARING I’M PAIRED

Poetry is that
conversation we could not
otherwise have had.
–Cid Corman, Kyoto, Japan

Sorry I do
not speak haiku.

We interrupt this post for another commercial:

OBSESSION

buy Calvin Klein.
Sell futures.

GIVE ME THAT OLD-TIME RELIGION

Of course God knows everything —
He’s been around forever.

WHAT GOD TOLD ADAM AND EVE

You don’t want to know
(so, on with the show).

IS THIS GREAT POETRY, OR WHAT?

The power of suggestion
is that it begs the question.

Is this a great job, or what? But apparently not everyone shares my view:

OLD TESTAMENT RE-VIEW

Take this Job
and shove it.

FINNEGAN’S DYING WISH

Wake me when it’s over
(re Joyce).

We conclude with….

TWO MORE POEMS BY MISTERMUSE

One
short.

 

 

BORN AGAIN

I was for several years a regular contributor to SWI (Speak Without Interruption) until Sept. 2013, when without warning, over half of my posts were deleted for space reasons. Included in the purge were a number of short poems which I immodestly think deserved a better fate.

The above background is by way of notice that what follows, including my next several posts, will be drawn from a body of previously published work resurrected from the SWI graveyard. Who says there is no life after death?

• * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

WHAT GOD TOLD ADAM AND EVE

You don’t want to know.

NEWS OF THE DAY

It seems that, unbeknownst to every knownst person I’ve known (including me), October 23 is the #1 big news day in the history of the world….literally beginning with the history of the world. According to irreparable sources, Anglican Archbishop of Armagh and Human Primate of All Ireland, James Ussher (1581-1656), established after extensive Biblical and Middle Eastern research that the first day of creation was Sunday, October 23, 4004 BC.

Highly regarded as a churchman and scholar, the good Archbishop’s calculations were regarded at the time with unquestioning reverence. These calculations included such happenings as Adam and Eve being driven from their garden paradise on Monday, November 10, 4004 BC, and Noah’s Ark touching down on Mt. Ararat on Wednesday, May 5, 2348 BC — undoubtedly a current event of glad tidings to all aboard.

But not every historical event on this day was of biblical proportions. Here are some lesser  Oct. 23 gigs which are nonetheless gignificant, because I feel like commenting on them:

425 AD – Valentinian III elevated to throne of Roman Emperor at age 6 (emphasis on elevated)

1814 – First plastic surgery performed (in England), which seems odd because the first man-made plastic wasn’t patented until 1856 (also in England). Perhaps it was originally called rubber surgery, as rubber was known long before plastic and was first used commercially as an eraser. Makes sense, if you face the facts.

1915 – 25,000 women march in NYC demanding right to vote. As if Prohibition, in effect Jan. 1920, wouldn’t be enough to suffer through, husbands had to put up with their uppity wives wanting not only to run their households, but having a say in running the entire country. It was enough to make a groan man cry in his bootleg booze.

1935 -Mobster Dutch Schultz and three associates shot to death in a saloon by Mafia hitmen. Kind of makes one wonder, Can we all just get along?

Speaking of which, I’ve got to get along  — my better half beckons.