Moby-Dick in Verse III

Better Sleep With a Sober Cannibal Than a Drunken Christian 

New Haven streets were quit adventurous,

walking quickly pass ships cursed by black voodoo,

bad omens, curses applied by evil eyes. 

Ishmael feared that his body would capsize, 

if he did not find a place for the night.

Moby-Dick In Verse II

Merchant Marine Dreams of Sleep

From Ishmael's a musings he tramps on;
into New Bedford he is bound to gratify:
find a ship and eat his piece of sea-pie.
Ishmael passed stately inns of corruption,
he could not afford that kind subjugation.
He had missed his boat, Fates roll of dice,
and now he wanted rest, an Inn to lie
down in.   That's when he happened upon
a Black Angel of Doom who told of God's due,
he sat looking at his torn old black shoe,
the sermon shook Ishmael to the marrow
of his bones, and he prayed for his sorrow.
He knew he was a czar of an ice palace,
and asked, "How far away was God's grace
in New Bedford a place like Gomorrah.
O' to lie down in "Coffin's Inn" tomorrow.

Nederward

Truth Seekers in Tibet

We met 42 years ago now,(my has it been that long?) Tibet I believe, yes, it was Tibet. 
I was seeking enlightenment and peace at that remote, sheer walled, glacial monastery. I found you battered and broken slumped against a boulder, after what appeared to be a skiing accident (your foot had actually come out of the locked boot, leaving the ski and boot free to ski its way down through to the neighboring village... ouch!). I carried you the 6 winding miles up the mountain through waist deep powder to the monastery, where the other monks and I nursed you back to health, and taught you lessons of the way, and stories too numerous to tell here... It was a defining moment of my life meeting you... I still have never been able to explain the strange color of your blood, nor what appeared to be, in my opinion, some sort of bionic or metallic inner skeleton we found under your skin as we mended your wounds...


I am thankful for my friend Jason Augustitus,  I hope one day we can meet up back in Shangri La, until then I pray that shalom will be his state of mind.  

Urban Legends in Verse:

Miracle In Vale

Do miracles happen in this atomic age?
Don't ask this urban pirate sage!
But here is a tale from a mountain dale:


A flock at a monastery outside of Vale,
were being given a tour by a monk named Dale.
A lady from Boulder spied an empty wheelchair,
the chair sat in front of the monk's backstair
she took a glance, and sat with great care. 


No one saw the action by this good-wife,
she appeared to be a quite still-life, 
a poor soul who was in an accident.


But then it seemed an angel was sent.
For when it was the hour to rendezvous
back at the bus, we saw a big to do:
the lady arose, it was sensational, 
a miracle, she broke free from her jail.


The monk was aghast and did a cartwheel, 
he knew this event would make the newsreel.

Moby-Dick In Verse I

On Whaling Ships All Sailors Brave In Heart.

Ishmael driven to leave urban decay,
distinctive posts and offices left with haste,
leaving today, high caste for the downcast.

"Grin and bear it!" the new officers say.
"Grin and bear it, it is the sailor's way."

Grin through the ache of cat calls from the cast,
of prisoners, ungraced, hard-faced,  pug faced
flotsam crew;  in the midst, the fates will weigh
what will become of me in God's agency.

The fates will dog me, and influence me,
they do not let me choose what is my gain.

All Captains are schoolmarm who reign
on their private islands; "God Save Me
from the evil aboard this log in hard rain."

Moby-Dick in Verse Response Extracts on Whales

What is a Whale?

An arched and vaulted grey abbey.
A creature jumping like a wild banshee.
The Leviathan,  God's very own thieve ;
Prophet Jonah cursed, carried and  receive
by a dragon of the aquamarine tranquil sea.
A whale's breath conjures fear of a deformity.
Is it a rock? an island? land ho? by grace
with harpoons, at the ready,
we espy a blue-whale's face.

"So be cherry, my lads, let your hearts never fail, 

While the bold harpooner is striking the whale!"  

Nantucket Song

x° N/S y° E/W  ↦  x° S/N (180 − y)° W/E: Antipodes

Jonah wanted to be as far away as possible from God's divine plan.  And now we are going away from Arkansas to New England, maybe not a geographical antipode (directly opposite of any one place on a globe-Antarctica and Alaska)  but  an antipode of culture.

XLII Days with Huck Finn XLIII: XLII (Final One)

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked this book a lot. The experience of encapsulating every chapter into a poem was a fun but challenging experience. Twain had a lot more than just a kids book in mind when he wrote this.
He was writing to all people who were caught up in the political question: "Should one leave slavery alone, or do something about it?"

I however, did grow tired of Tom and felt like grabbing him by the lapels and screaming, "Grow up Kid!"  But it was merely a book, and Tom Sawyers merely a fictional character, so I restrained myself.  And maybe, just maybe that was Twain's motive; maybe he was attempting to say, "America your acting like annoying Tom Sawyer, come on and grow up; these are real people involved with your political melodrama."

This book is an astute answer to the political cross hairs of the nineteenth century.


View all my reviews

My Next Poetic Challenge is Moby Dick by Herman Melville, bring on the whale!!!!!

XLII Days with Huck Finn XLII: XLII

Fall Guy on Heathen Poles

"The sun set. And Jim stood tall.
Hang old J.I.M. as an example to all?
What happens in the land of the free?
J.I.M. did not say a word, even to me."
Huck said. "Jim has  been set free."
said Tom, "Yet he stands the fall guy?"

"This town's hullabaloo is a great hoodwink.
If Jim is already free, Tom please rethink
your plan to place J.I.M. on heathen poles,
a fire pit to roast him black, over red coals."

Happy Easter!

XLII Days with Huck Finn XLI: XLII

Good Friday 1884 Floating Down Yonder

Dreams shot Tom to the rimed abyss,
Sleep begets sleep and Tom Dreams:

 Doctor says, "Suck on this here cannabiss!"

Meanwhile Huck floats down into the jet stream
and runs into kin while white washing downtown

"Where you've been Tom?  Why you in this town?"

Family fear of Injuns dried up in the day.
A Cigar Store Injun stood and obeyed,
his lips did not move, quiver, or admit,
to the crimes done by the White Jesuit.
Noble Injun stood with a brave request,
"Stop blaming us reds/the middle-east/
and the Chinese for all the great defeat.
You owe plenty to man's judgement test."

XLII Days with Huck Finn XL: XLII

What Huck Finn Should Have Told Tom Concerning the Plan

"Tom's yer fantasy works when pigs fly,
I see yonder a  castle made of dust.
I am baaing so sacrilegiously.
Deadbeat plans of TNT, will combust.
I follow with fear, I think wer deadmeat.
Whoopjambereehoo-aint no kids game-
a throw of loaded dice, no sure bet,
that this scam will raise our acclaim.
Bang-bang: bullets, serenade our end game."

42 Days with Huck Finn XXXIX:XLII

Never Quit Being Made

J.I.M. is a prisoner of style made,

by the imagination of play things.

The plantation they wisely evade.

"Beware. Trouble is brewing.  Keep a sharp lookout."

Fears take the family's heart,

spooked again, and spooked again.

Ouch! Whoopjambereehoo! of flintheart, 

the family stands firm in their pain;

till all the blue dragons are slain.

42 Days with Huck Finn XXXVIII:XLII

Maggiore Fretta Minore Atto

Tom speaks of what old heroic legends say: 

Red dragons of the night take haste.

Tom tells Huck, "We must find a dungeon fast.

Find dusty wine bottles from yesterday, 

the prisoner must be drunk on Beaujolais.

Dirty rag prisoner is a true-blue outcast,

appearing with no hope,  Jim sad faced.

Get this all staged before the ends-day."

Huck asks, "Are you saying this soberly,

All of this romance is a huge drain.

Why all the heavy work for levity?

These are heroic plans made by scatterbrains."

Tom replies, "Huck we shall take heart

for this escape is a piece of art." 

Funny Jewish Satire

• 

  Seattle World's Fair 

  
  

  Check out these Two Great Passover Songs

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6C2Ufs5afM&feature=watch_response

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwczIc4FNV0

  
  

  born in the wilds of delancey street

  home of gefilte fish and kosher meat

  handy with a knife, oh her zich tzi

  he flicked him a chicken, when he was only 3

  duvid, duvid crocket, he sat in the sun und gerocket (rocked) und gebaket (baked)

  duvid, duvid crocket, king of delancey street
  albertdiner 2 years ago 4 
• in eighteen thoiteen he fought indianers, then came the litvaks and the galitzianers, avekgeharget redskins all over the shtetl, he never lost his head, he never lost his sheitel

  d-d-crocket, he chewed tobacky und gehissed und gechrocket, d-d-c king of delancey streeet
  albertdiner 2 years ago
• he went down south, looking for a maidel,

  met a little tzatzkale called daisy fraidel

  from near and far, they came to the chippe

  elected him president of the bnei missisipi

  mazel tov duvid crocket ah mazel tov der mame und der alter crocket, mazel tov d-c kods
  albertdiner 2 years ago
• he went up west on his ferdeleh shlaim, took along fraidaleh his vaibale shain, shlaim hut gefleet vi an aeroplane, he got to las wegas ahead of the train

  d-d-c he walked up to the crap table with a full pocket, d-d-c kods

  he shot like a gambler, ainer af der velt

  up came two sixes ,in drerd di gelt

  he flet very sad, that's my opinion, he would have said kaddish but he couldn't find a minyan

  d-d-c farloren di haisen he went home naket, d-d-c he's back on delancey street
  albertdiner 2 years ago
• Dovid, Dovid Crockett; (he vent up to the crap table with a full pocket) Dovid, Dovid Crockett; King of Delancy Street. He shot like a gembler, owner of die veld, Up came two sixes...und drer d'geld. He felt very sad, dat's my opinion, He vould of said kaddish...but he couldn't find a minyan. Dovid, Dovid Crockett, (he lost his pants an' he vent home nahkid), Dovid, Dovid Crockett, He's back on Delancy Street.
  albertdiner 3 years ago
• Dovid, Dovid Crockett; King of Delancy Street

  He went out west on his small horse, Schloim Sam?,

  Took along Daisile, his wife, alles schoen,

  Schloim hat g'fliet--like and air-a-plane,

  He got to Las Wegas ahead of the train.

  Dovid, Dovid Crockett;

  (he vent up to the crap table with a full pocket)

  Dovid, Dovid Crockett; King of Delancy Street.

42 Days with Huck Finn 37:42

Looted Walls

Shirts, spoons, candles, plundered delights.
From small holes in the walls, mice peep,
blamed for all trickery done dirt cheep.

Aunt Sally is ready for a prizefight.
Hot, red, cross, holding her temper in with might;
we become blue from the news, we're ready to reap,
what we stole, when the house was asleep.

"The calf got the shirt last night.
But what became of the spoon, this is insane!"
cries Aunt Sally, "Where's the moonshine!
Where's Alibaba and his caravan?
We can't let them carry loot to Palestine.
Or is this a mission God willed?
all the mouse holes must be filled."

42 Days with Huck Finn 35:42

Tom's Complicated Plans

Storybook notions go
forward and complicate verbal
plans to free J.I.M.

Music Comparison

Check out the comparison made by Frank Portman between:
Rubinoos' "Rock and Roll is Dead"


and
Judas Priest-Heading Out On The Highway


Thanks and cheers to Frank Portman.

You Tube Cool

Musical Interlude: Run Rabit Run

Jane 99 told me to look up the song Run Rabit Run Rabit Run Run Run.  So I did.   And here are a few versions from Rob Zombie to the original.

Flanagan and Allen

Rob Zombie

Auleulle

Muppet Show

Eminem