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Saturday, August 21, 2021

"Rain in Spain" Rewind (Past)

In Jars, the bars are staff'd by tars named Lars. 
In June, Rangoon poltroons harangue, "Monsoon!!"

In Hue, each day is grey (staid Hueans say).
The heat in Crete beats even the elite.
In Corse-du-Sud, of course, they've floods of mud.
A freezin' breeze brings Pisans to their knees.

Chicago's smog leaves joggers' dogs agog.
Florence warrants "Torrents...? None like Lawrence...?" 
The luge is huge in Bruges, not Baton Rouge.
Their goal in Seoul…? Control that ozone hole.

Few mull a scull through Dol. Its chances…? Null.
Hugh Grant’s in Hants, romancing my great-aunts.
My stays in Hays…? Unphased by Les Malaises.
The snow at Meaux’s aglow. (Most apropos!)

In Gaul, their Walmart’s small: one story tall.
Sri Ram from Guam’s a prominent imam.
It’s sad how bad the haddock tastes in Chad.
The myrrh from Ur’s imperfect, that’s for sure.

In Cerne, you’ll learn: they’ve furniture to burn.
The sleet in Crete’s replete with cream of wheat.
When snow in Stowe’s this low, you mustn’t go.
The jakes in Aix house snakes, for heaven sakes.

In Berne, men yearn to spurn the joint return.
In Wales, some males raise snails in painted pails.
Toulouse’s Jews: abusive to Peru’s.
In Nice, the geese displease the Suisse police.

In France, few dance with fancy Philo Vance.
Sid spit in Split. “Admit it, Sid…and quit!”
In Perth, they’ve earthy mirth, for what it’s worth.
In Troy, the hoi polloi employ no goy.

In Ghent, I lent some gent his next month’s rent.
Which dome in Rome was home to Ethan Frome…?
In Rye, the sky is dry. (I wonder why.)
The scene in Wien is frequently unclean.

Rhymes with 'Chyme' (Two Takes) (11)

     Was (1) the 
chyme of Miss Jean Brodie to com-
-mit (2) chymes of passion…? 
     Will she 
(3) chyme ev'ry rainbow’d mountain   
(4) as chyme goes by…? 
     Since when's (5) 
"Buddy, can you spare some chyme…?" kick 
off (6) "Chymehouse Blues"…? 
     And shall we  
not all go together gath'ring  
(7) mountain chyme…?
 
     ‘Twas it the
chyme of Miss Jean Brodie caused that
lady’s chyme of passion…?
     Who’s caught
chyming ev’ry mountain, forging
streams as chyme goes by…?
     Since when did
“Buddy can you spare some chyme…?” kick-
start “The Chymehouse Blues”…?
     And shall we
not all go together gath’ring
wild mountain chyme…?

Rhymin' Rhythmi (11)

Ain't Alabaman Bob's boobs buoyd…?
Chic Czechs crack Donald's devil-'droid.
Eat Easter's eels: four fifths fast-fed!
Gauge Gammer Gurton’s hutch…(hearth…head)!
Inside, Ike's judgin' ju-ju'd juice.
Knicks kick Klan kin, let Lulu loose.
Mom's mau-maus must note Nanny's "Nope!".
“Outre!” quotes Peter, pompous pope.
"Quisquid," quips Queequeg, "rera rara…?"
Stash soon says "Ta-ta!" to Tara.
Umber'd urns unfund Viv's Volvo,
which works well with "Xanxolxowlvo."
Yellow’d yaks yearn (yadda-yadda)...
(Z's for Z'wadzki nicknamed "Zadda.")

Telling Beads (Past)

The IntRO:

Life is what…? A dream…? 
A scream…? A stream…? 
A bream…? A meme…? Oh, no!
     No, life is but a -RO, ROW, ROE,
-REAU, -RAOH, RHO, -ROHE, ROT,
ROWE, HRO, ROP…
 
     "Oremus!"…? Let us pray!
"OROmus!"…? Let us ROW!
("AROmas!”…? Let not loose 
offensive stink: inapROp(R)Os!)
 
     “And not," il Papa pleads,
"while yet I tell my beads..."
 
The CaROl: 
 
     Young 
ROgues in bROgues
all dROve Pierce-ArROWs
ages 'fore "A" Fords aROSe,
ere ChevROlets (as spelt with their 'RO's,
or, as oft, misspelt with rare 'RHO's)
belch’d abROad such foul aROmas
men (and maids!) nosed…all in ROWs.
 
     Sans
spats, Jack KeROuac and BurROUGHs,,
Beats, beat bounds beyond Art's burROWs:
"ThROugh our burg, babes wheel wheelbarROWs,"
William wrote. "Behold their furROWs!"
(Babes, though retRO, ain't no 'ho's.)
"Doh! Them's no ladies: them's muh bROs!"
 
     Whence 
come the newest pinko'd CastROs --
fresh Fidels* to fROnt for past '-stROs-...?**
Think you'd catch -- not spelt with RHOs --
chic Sheryls, Johnnys (tos or fROS),
black Jims, CORvidae, AbsaROkas --
each and every one a cROW...?
 
     * An anagram for 'fields’ and thus
anagrammatically fresh.  
     ** Short for 'monstrosities' -- e.g., 
Juan Battista et al.
 
     D
Bryans dive for Clarence DarROWs..?
"O'er de top" be too de tROP,
though bets on Cal draw more dinéROs.
(FROm primeRO de EneRO,
bets are better bet in EuROs --
ROy can't bet: ROy's funds are fROze.)
 
     CROw
"Fi-ga-RO, Fi-ga-RO, Fi-ga-
RO, Fi-ga-RO, Fi-ga-RO, Fi-
ga-RO, Fi-ga-RO, Fi-gar-...(are
you who cROws those "FigaRO!"s
fROm -glyphs, i.e., fROm hieROs...?)
...ga-RO, Fi-ga-RO, Fi-ga-RO...)
 
     S'ppose 
fools sow oats at Mia FarROW's,
fine-tooth comb her nappy 'fRO
(and fan her flush an' fever’d bROW)
whilst dealing frequent hands of FaROs
flipping bicycles, not taROTs
gROwling, "How's your garden gROW...?"...?
 
     Quick,
Grab that crucifix: It's GeRO's.
Jesus...? He's the "He" who harROWs,
harROWs He some saints an' heROEs
(this although He squirts a seR' HOse), 
harROWs like there's no "tomairROWs,"
harROWs Hell. (That Hunk's a pRO!)
 
     (It's
vile, is Isle of Doc MoREAU...
and ikura is salmon ROE.)
 
      The
jury's out: did Jim* phone negROEs --
Joes from BROoklyn, where a tree gROWs--
fROm extension 404O,
just to jawbone Al Jar-REAU...?
 
     * Sgt. N. ("Jim") Smithe-Magee
(the N stands for 'NeRO')
 
     King got kill’d far, far fROm CaiRO
'cuz his eye was on the sparROW.
Martin, mi amigo caRO,
keep us out of war -- like WoodROW!

      Lord
Lou, aboard Achille LauRO,
loved -- but failed -- to turn his taROT.
Had he so, he'd seen such sorROW
launched when pirates take contROl.
(Losing lunch of leeks an' taRO
topp’d with carROts an' cilantRO,
later Lou, too, lost sang-fROid
an' -- LOL -- was left to ROW.)
 
     James et Mar'lyn: both MonROES,
maismerely une bROke bread chez CiRO's --
none at Cafe TROcadeRO.
(Also missing: Tokyo ROse.)
 
     Gourmandette Ms. Laura NyRO:
"Try the veal an' nix the gyRO.
I'm not old, yet I'm no tyRO,"
quoting Eco's Name O' ROSE.
 
     Mose' plays poker with the phaRAOH:
"PaiR O' queens…? Pshaw: Treys...a paiR O'..."
Which pal cheats...? Phone Hercule PoiROT.
(Stump in po'ms, pols rule in pROse:
is this why PhaRAOH's so moROse...?)
 
     "QueRO-te, oi papai...QueRO,"
whispers Matt fROm MatamoROS.
Quiet Matt means "Te adoRO,
Dad: your nose...? A dead, red ROSe."
 
     ROtten ROw...? 'Tis far fROm King's ROw.
Axl ROSe ain't Marcus VarRO.
Abie's Irish ROSe...? No ChaRO,
nor is Pete ROse Hank ThoREAU.
 
     Splittin'...? Shit! 'Tis such sweet SorROW.
Shall I sit, till it be morROW...?
Think I'll drink some steins of StROH's,
then search for clothes down Saville ROW.
 
     The
aeROdROme northeast of TruRO's
now appROached by taking MetRO.
There is wheR' JOsé "Quinn" TeRO
(so the song by JethRO Tull goes)
taught the art of el ToreRO:
"Tora, Tora, Señor ToRO!"
taunts José...as bull he ThROWs.
 
     Quiz UngaRO, E. Rice BurROUGHs,
CiceRO, Great-Uncle SpiRO.
Bug Abe BurROWs, pRObe ShapiRO,
and, until time's up, De NiRO.
None -- not StavROs, not Mi --
can understand those picaROs.
    VelcRO...? 
Vince Van Gogh votes "schmelcRO!"
 
     My 
widdl' puppy -- where, oh, wheR', OH...
Was his eye, too, on said sparROW...?
Wolf'd he too much dext- or sucROse...?
Will dogs wag in Catfish ROW...?
 
     Xavier squats atop the PhaROs,
setting Xenophon's HieRO
as a polonaise-boleRO-
Xibelani dance for dobRO,
xylophone an' xalam -- oRO 
Deo...oRO por milagRO!
 
     Mary, Paul 'n' Peter YarROW:
if youse yells, "Ravel's BoléRO!"
while you're dancin' Day's "DanseRO..."?
Yes! That would yield SRO!
 
     Zounds! The latest game fROm HasbRO
uses zlotys, held in escROW:
Zoë's fours trounce ZorRO'S  zeROS --
after “
zixty-zeven” thROWs.

Names with a K (Star Trek Edition) (Unpub)

Ever wonder why Roddenberry didn't dub his fledgling sf 
effort "Star Trip," "Star Safari" or "Star Outing"? Perhaps 
the final selection resulted from the Final Frontiersman's 
apparent enthusiasm for names with a 'K' sound -- 
names sporting 'q's, hard 'c's, 'x's and, of course, 'k's. 
     Thus the series title short list might have included 
"Star Hike" but not "Star Sojourn," "Star Junket" but not
"Star Jaunt," "Star Campaign" but not "Star Migration," 
"Star Caravan" but not "Star Pilgrimage," "Star Circuit" but 
not "Star Voyage," "Star Quest" but not "Star Ramble"...and, 
of course, "Star Trek" but not "Star Hegira." As for the cast 
of characters – check out the roster array'd below.  
 
The Names
 
Chris Pike   Spock   Colt   James Kirk   Doctor McCoy   "Scotty"   
Hikaru Sulu   Chekov   Christine Chapel   Jean-Luc Picard   
Riker   The Crushers   Katherine Pulaski   Alexander Rozhenko   
Keiko   Kurn   Lwaxana   Q   Barclay   Sarek   Annika   
Mark Jameson Ishka   Hawk   Dixon   Benjamin & Jake Sisko   
The Kiras   Quark   The Daxes   Opaka Garak   Martok   
Gul Dukat   Tekeny   Vic Fontaine   Shakaar   Kasidy   Kimara   
Cretak   Zek Gorkon   Gralik   Grilka   Gromek   Kathryn Janeway   
Chakotay   Tuvok   H. Kim   The Doctor Neelix   Kes   Seska   
Vorik   Kashimuro   J. Carey   S. Nicoletti   Michael Jonas   
W. Baxter   Doctor Chaotica   Braxton   Jarok   E. Jellico   Kahless   
Kamala   Kang   Kargon   The Karidians Karina   W. Keel   E. Keeler   
Keevan   Kell   K'Ehleyr   Keogh   Kessick   L. Kahn   K'Kath   
Klaa Klag   K'mpec K'mtar   K'nera   Kodos   Kohlar   Kol   Kolopak   
Koloth   S.Kolrami A. Komononov   Konmel   Konsab   Koord   
Kor   Korax   Korris   Koss   Koval   Kozak   Kras Krell   Kruge   
K'Temoc   Kunivas   Kuvak   Kyle   Nick Locarno   Loskene   
Lovok   Kieran MacDuff   Kila   Carol and David Marcus   Martok   
T. Tucker   Malcolm Reed   Phlox Maxwell Forrest   Erika Hernandez   
Silik   E. Cutler   Thy'lek Shran   
                                               …and surely there are others…  

Top Spots (Unpub)

Spot
Tops
Spots
Stops
Spot on
Top spot
In a spot
A ranking
To lend to
On the spot
Hits the spot
A small drink
To cover thinly
Spotty Muldoon
A patch or blotch
X marks the spot
A place or location
To recognize talent
Short for ‘spotlight’
A specific banknote
Dick and Jane’s dog
An anagram for ‘stop’
Place for a show item
A pip on a card or dice
‘Tops’ spelled backwards
Earth flax and also amianthus
A very small amount of anything
An anagram for ‘opts,’ and for ‘post’ 
A verb meaning ’to see,’ ‘to catch a glimpse ’
‘Spaat’: a kind of spar or a boom in Dutch tongue
A trading system in one or another of the stock markets
To help a gymnastics performer avoid injuring him- or herself
“you hurry to a spot that’s just a dot on the map”: “The Tender Trap” lyrics
In association football, point within penalty area from which goal kicks are taken

 

 

'Sun' & Nonsense (Past)

Suns also rise, rise sunabash’d --
sunbutton’d as your sunburn.
Your Suncle Sam’s suncurious.
(That sundials are is spurious --
turn, kick, turn, turn, turn, kick turn!)
     SunEnergy’s suneducated.
Sunfish sink…? 'Sunfair!
Sunglasses often come sunglued.
Son House…? Sunhealthy: Son's sunhued.*
(Me suninvited…? Rare.)

     * From the Old French meaning to shout
     
     Sunjay Kapur’s sunjust.
Sunken treasure’s most sunkind.
Sunlearnéd is the sunlight –
sunmanageable, sunbright.
Meanwhile, Sun Myung Moon’s gone blind.
     Moon's sunny disposition --
sunnat’ral, sunobserved –
young Son o' Sam, sunpopular,
from smile to frown suncurved.
     Sunquestioning his sunquest,
after sunrise folks, sunread
thus quite sunsympathetic,
his sunspots leave sunfled.
     “His suntan’s proved suntruthful,
suntrustworthy,” sunone said.
She, sunupstanding, after sun up,
join’d Sun Valley’s dead.
     “Thus truth remains sunvarnish’d,”
sunworshippers declared.
“Sunworthy. So: sunwanted.”
(Their sunconscious minds they shared.)
     Of a sudden, Sun Xiang, 
chair of SUNY’s Institute of Bung,
runs sunyieldingly, his pants sunzipp’d,
across the quad, whereon he (s)tripp’d…
(This song: best left sunsung...?)

Christmas Day: A Mare Egg...

     "A Mare Egg, Her Wrist, "Miss Two 'U'"