RIP Robbie Shakespeare

https://youtu.be/VVIsTZPp0iM 

Today's Verse: 2 December 2021

I want to sell you my birthday

It cannot be replicated

It's eternal, since the moment I ushered forth

We can exchange a digital handshake,

Itself unique in all the Universe,

Incorruptible and eternal

You will acquire sole ownership of

Any and all warm wishes, 

Ab initio and without termination,

Of my family, friends, lovers,

Airline loyalty clubs, hotel and/or restaurant chains, etc

You gambit: "What do I get out of it?"

You OWN it, baby!

How much?

Today's Verse: 1 December 2021

The neighbours found his body.

That's the beginning, and the end, 

of the story.

Today’s Verse: 27 November 2021

A little thought

I forgot

Directly from my Fridge to You

 

RIP Don

 I remember Junior year Jimmy had that little Close-&-Play in his cubbyhole in East Pinkney, and played the Everly Brothers a lot (and also Johnny Burnette, if I recall correctly.) I thought it was just some Happy Days "Wake Up Little Suzy" camp and got tired of it, but Jimmy said, No, listen to it, it's really beautiful.  I did and he was right.  

 Italy's recent soccer win reminded me of the summer of 1982 and the Italian team's mad goalie Zof and the one day that the banker's town of Genève stayed up all night to party.

Bric-A-Brac

Everybody has a drawer

Of things they don’t need any more

Pictures cut from magazines

Little parts from small machines

Bottle caps and little tops

Take-out menus, cards from shops

Extra sets of unknown keys

Everyone has things like these

Useless little things like these

People find room in their hearts

For machines with broken parts

Things they should have thrown away

The old, the damaged and the stray

And I too seem to fill my days

With silly little throwaways

With gewgaws, junk and oddities

And useless little songs like these

Little songs like these

(after Dorothy Parker)

Today's Verse: 28 June 2021

The future has no future
There I'll be
In one big now
Scrapping to scrape by, survive

Slipping down the pole

Nature won't prioritise

Just desire, need, raw power

I understand

I won't control anything

Throw the dice with all my might

Ready as I'll ever be

Dig in, grit my teeth, smile 

My Own Skylark

 Going all in on the pretentiousness:

I sit alone, as day dissolves to night
And notice, high above, a bird in flight
Wandering, like the raven from Noah’s ark
Singing just for me, my own skylark

The sound that through the ages poets have heard
Cannot be turned to image, song or word
It turns back on itself like a question mark
That’s the riddle of the song of my skylark

The sweetest songs are those 
That tell of saddest thought
My heart rides on your wings
Inside your song I’m caught
What is this dream or vision
Brought to me from afar?

I want to say, although it sounds absurd,
“Thou wast not born for death, Immortal Bird.”
And then the singing stops. The sky is dark.

I’ll never hear again my own skylark

Today's Verse: 19 June 2021

I'm sending you a postcard
Of a place I'd like to be

In April, May, or June

Ideally you're with me

Wait, wait

We're getting closer

Wait, wait

We're closing space

Wait, wait

We're toe to toe now

Wait, wait

We're face to face

I'm sending you a postcard

Of a bridge across a bay

Of a summit in the welkin

Of a world that's far away

I'm sending you a postcard

Of lava burning bright

Waves crashing on the shoreline

Of jewels that span the night

Wait, wait

We're getting closer

Wait, wait

We're closing space

Wait, wait

We're toe to toe now

Wait, wait

We're face to face

I'm sending you a postcard

Of a place I'd like to be

From now until whenever

Ideally you're with me

Wait, wait

We're getting closer

Wait, wait

We're closing space

Wait, wait

We're toe to toe now

Wait, wait

We're face to face

Rock Scissors Paper

 It's been a long time since I've written an Eno-esque nonsense song.

I was born squalid

Or—whatcha call it?

I’m just a big orangutan

who likes to toss his feces

I’m a young savage 

Quite below average

I will hit you like a rock 

And I will smash you into pieces

CHORUS: Oh, rock scissors paper

Rock scissors paper

You cut me now but I’ll cover you later

Paper rock scissors

Scissors paper rock

We tick & tock and click & cluck like a kooky cuckoo clock

Night singing skylark

Knife swinging mud shark

I’ll sweep you up and cut you down 

and slice you into slivers

I got my weapon

Watch what you step in

The click-clack that you hear is just 

The slicing of my scissors

Oh, rock scissors paper

Rock scissors paper

You cut me now but I’ll cover you later

Paper rock scissors

Scissors paper rock

We tick & tock and click & cluck like a kooky cuckoo clock

Oh, you silly dandy

You piece of rock candy

You’ll disappear completely like 

a quicksand-sinking lover

You’re think that you an Uzi

You silly floppy floozy

You can smash and you can cut 

But remember, I can cover

Oh, rock scissors paper &c.

Today's Verse: 11 May 2021

Going home to see my lover die
To whisper fondly "goodbye, goodbye"
All at once, all is undone
An abyss yawns where there was none
It's hungry and I can't resist
Being swallowed in its kiss
O! Alas! I'm losin' it

Today's Verse: 8 May 2021

I can't hold on, I'm letting go
Of everything I want to know
Free will and sensuality
Together have deserted me
Docile and considerate
I lie in bed and reminisce
O! Alas! I'm losin' it

Today's Verse: 7 May 2021

Tides are servants of the moon
You and I are servants too
Cycles take us high and low
Tumbling through the surf we go
Breathless we're deposited
On the sand to wait and sit
O! Alas! I'm losin' it

Today's Verse: 6 May 2021

There's comfort in slouching
Lying down on the job
Taking it easy
Being a slob

Today's Verse: 5 May 2021

Pleasure is a jellyfish
Dangerous, diaphanous

In an ocean of desire

Floating like a holy fire

Current makes us intimate

A little scared I must admit

O! Alas! I'm losin' it

Today's Verse: 4 May 2021

Good is bad and bad is good
The wolf is little red riding hood

Grandmother's out of touch it seems

She mixes up real life and dreams

The pieces of the puzzle no longer fit

The world is small and full of shit

O! Alas! I'm losin' it

Today's Verse: 27 April 2021

It's not curtains
I'm worried about

Let 'em rise, let 'em fall

By now, I've prob'bly seen it all

Though I nurture

A little doubt

April's Fool

what kind of fool would leave his friends in space,

 when they were right beside him, ready for the race? 

 why ever miss the chance, though they are far away, to join them in the dance that makes each day a play? 

 just words upon a screen, a cynic might opine, but their words touch my life, like fresh lips tasting wine.

 so call me April's fool, and call my longings folly, I know my foolish friends will always keep me jolly.

Today's Verse: 27 March 2021

The snails are rising
In towns and cities

The snails are rising

Throughout the land

The snails are rising

It isn't pretty

The snails are rising

They're out of hand

Inside their shells

There's trouble brewing

Inside their shells

The flames are fanned

Inside their shells

The fire's fueling

Inside their shells

Revolt is planned

What do they want?

What is their creed?

To satisfy

Their endless craving?

And to assuage

Their shameless needs?

The snails are rising

The earth is trembling

The snails are rising

It's judgement day

The snails are rising

In ranks assembling

The snails are rising

Too late to pray

Gone straight

 

Today's Verse: 18 March 2021

Felice has gone away
Dawn saw her silent leaving

Her neighbours fret and pray

She will not be returning

We loved her very much

We loved her very, very much

We loved her very much

Now she's gone away

I saw you hesitate

In between both now and then

Trying to seduce fate

Any way you lose and win

I love you very much

I love you very, very much

I love you very much

Now you've gone away

Daybreak came

I fell asleep

Afraid of losing you

When I awake

My mind at ease

You tell me what I always knew

Fire will consume us

In smoke we wander home

Water will entomb us

Nevermore to be alone

I loved you very much

I loved you very, very much

I loved you very much

And now you've gone away

Dancing with my demons

Making out like my sweet lord

The world is only seeming

A dream and nothing more

We love you very much

We love you very, very much

We love you very much

Now that you've gone away

Today’s Verse: 2 March 2021

 In a classy limousine 

He is often vaguely seen

Though the window’s not yet shut

You can see his shiny butt

Hover in the gloaming air

All at once, no longer there

RIP Phil

 I well remember the time around sophomore year at St John's when I had the Wall of Sound on constant rotation. Genius? Madman? Looked great in a wig. I'm looking forward to reading his prison journals or seeing the Netflix movie of same. Please Al Pacino.

RIP Sylvain

Sorry to read of his departure.... to a private world no doubt.

Today's Verse: 1 January 2021

 From the day I saw light first

I was blessed and I was cursed

Precognition is the gift

I was made to struggle with

Let me share it clear and plain

Everyday: more of the same