Peter Pantoum: a Petit Paean to PB&J

Halleluja! Hip hip hooray! PB&J!
Found grounded in ground peas well-ground into butter
o'erlaid with a layer of jelly. Ole!
Your sandwich...? Tres rich! My papillae...? Aflutter.

Found grounded in ground peas well-ground into butter.
One layer of jelly; one layer of Jif
(your sandwich...? Tres rich! My papillae...? Aflutter)
twixt slices of Wonder Bread. Give us a whiff!

One layer of jelly; one layer of Jif
(some spread Peter Pan -- either crunchy or smooth)
betwixt slices of Wonder Bread. Give us a whiff!
Such comfort food's proud of its power to soothe.

Some spread Peter Pan -- either crunchy or smooth --
and then add mash'd bananas (an Elvis, it's call'd).
Such comfort food's proud of its power to soothe.
And the fans of The King dine completely enthrall'd --

all who add mash'd bananas (an Elvis, it's call'd).
Or just jam, and the butter from peanuts, and bread.
And the fans of The King die completely enthrall'd.
OK, PB&J! On fad food I'd be fed!

Postface: a pantoum is the name assigned any 
of a series of poetic forms based on the Malay 
pantum. Cf two posts below for schematics and 
a brief intro to the structure of the form.

Portraits in Textiles & Textures: Post-Gallery-Show State of the Art Collection

"Men of the Cloth and of Other Materials" 
Corduroy Orbison S O L D
Burlap Ives
Foam Chomsky
Edgar Allan Peau de Soie  S O L D

Kevin GarNet
Tiny Tinfoil
Bill Murraymekko
Pillow Reilly 

Harrison Furr'd
Satintin
Gerard Diaperdoo
Denim Elliott

Kier DuLace
Henri MaTissue  S O L D
Crochet Guevara
Plaidimir Putin

George Gamowflage 
Antonio Bandanas 
John Linen
Bill Gauzeby

Fred Hoylecloth
Fiorello Flaguardia
Sampler-I-Ampler
Robert Coaster

Mr. Teabags 
Jean-Michel Basket 
Bibi Netting-Yahoo

"Material (and Otherwise Texture'd) Girls" 
Olive Voile
Sarah Huckabeee Sandpaper

Proposed Profiles
Reeseipts With-'er-Spoon 
Dr. Martin Loofah King, Jr.
Rachel Matzo 
Johann Sebastian Blocks

Sockrates
Playtoh
Rene Descartestoon

Pantoum Schematics

These schematics are currently being used  to guide creation of a pantoum celebrating the peanut butter and jelly sandwich (PG&J) -- working title: "Peter Pantoum." (The proposed poesy is now  completed. Scroll up two posts to read it.) 

Pantoum is the name assigned to several poetic forms based on the Malay pantun. The schematic appearing at left indicates relationships existing between the lines of a poem composed in one of the several forms a pantoum may take.

Each square space containing a numeral and a letter represents a line of verse. There are four lines to each stanza. The line's number of words, syllables, its meter and the total number of stanzas may vary with each poem. (There are also some unique treatments of the lines of the final stanza regarding repetition that won't be discussed here in these comments.) 

Each horizontal row represents a stanza of four lines. The form can employ as many stanzas as is necessary to complete the poem. 

In the archetypical poem suggested by the schematic there are four lines in each  stanza, five stanzas in the poem, six different rhymes (indicated by letters a through f), eight different verbatim repeats (2b, 4b, 5c, 6c, 7d, 8d, 9e and 10e), twelve unique lines (indicated by numerals 1 through 12) and twenty total lines.             [4:5:6:8:12:20]

The thin arrows link lines which rhyme; the thicker arrows link lines which are identical. As the schematic indicates, the second line of each stanza is repeated verbatim as the first line of the stanza following, while the fourth line of each stanza is repeated verbatim as the third line of the stanza following. 

The schematic below and to the right shows the different lines of the schematic above shifted one space to the right. The lines which are verbatim repeats share a color. An N notation indicates that this is the first time within the poem that line is heard -- i.e., that it is new. As noted above, there are twelve such lines. An R notation indicates that the line is being heard a second time -- i.e., that it is being repeated. Again as noted above, there are eight such lines.

Seven (Plus Sev'ral) Asea: Famous Ships (Some Fictional) Set Sail for Storied Ports of Call with an Array of Colorful Characters Aboard -- All Delineated In Verses Always Including a Minimum of Seven Letters Abecedarially Determined

On Attic Jason's Argo, Abner's off to Angkor Wat. 
"I'm so at sea, Ma," argues he. Ma answers, "No, you're not."*  (7)
     * Is Abner in fact Al Capp's Li'l Abner? Is Ma actually Capp's Mammy Yokum? You decide.

The Black Pearl’s bearing's nor' by east. What's Britney's bourn? Big Ben. 
There's been no doubting if she'll dock: the question's been but when.  (7+3)
     * The familiar Miss Spears or some wannabe? Difficult to determine.

Cole cruises 'board the Caine. His port o' call? Rome’s Colosseum. 
Cole credits Christian martyrs. ('Course he'd never choose to be ‘em.)  (7+3)
     * No one would ever consider Porter the martyr type.

Dawn Treader's Captain Drinian's Dev's former mate -- and mine. 
Dev, sailing to the Duomo, dodges Davy Jones's brine.  (7) 
     * Patel reportedly has long harbored a desire to visit Florence.

Ehrlich's Eigenstrasse, on the eve o' World War II, 
bears Elsa to the Tour Eiffel with Eve 'n' me...et vous?  (7)  
     * In this version of "The Sea Chase," John Wayne's Ehrlich and Lana Turner's Elsa take a detour to Le Tour.

The Flying Dutchman ferries Fats to Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater. 
His wish? To ferry Frank as well. "F**k! Dad's dead," fumes Frank's daughter.  (7+2)
     * Domino or Waller? Either could provide wonderful shipboard entertainment. 

With Gene 'n' Garfield (not the Goose), the Ghost, with Edward G.
(not Gomer*) drops her gangplank at the Guggenheim: Goll-ee-ee!  (7+2)
     * Gene Lockhart, John Garfield and Edward G. Robinson (the latter well-known for his art collecting) all shipped aboard the Ghost in Hollywood's "The Sea Wolf." Garfield Goose and Gomer Pyle didn't.

Hergé's aboard the Henrietta, headin' for the Hague.
How many hogsheads holds her hold? Alas, the number's vague. (7+2)
     * The vessel which ferries Fogg and company across the Atlantic on the last leg of their storied journey around the world.

If I'd intend to stow away, th'Intrepid I'd ignore.
It's port's the inukshuk at Igloolik. I'll stay on shore. (7+3)

Jenny/Juliet's Balcony

Karaboudjan/Khor Virap 

Lollipop/Leaning Tower of Pisa

Mary Deare/Machu Pichu

Nautilus/Notre Dame de Paris

Orca/Old Post Office Pavilion...

Pequod/ Pantheon (Parthenon...

Q-boat/Quansuh al Guhra

Red October/Robie House

Sea Unicorn/Sidney Opera House

Titanic/Taj Mahal

Ulysses/Urquhart Castle

Venture/Versailles

We're Here/Windsor Castle

Xenophon/Xunantunich

Yellow Submarine/Yaxchilan

Zodiac/Ziggurat of Ur

Sunshine Boys & Girls Must Come to Dust

Willy* wax'd vehement: “‘Pickle.’ That's funny...
'n' ‘chicken’ 'n' ‘cockroach’ 'n' ‘cupcake.’ They're funny.
Woids wid a K,’ not wid M, not wid L...”
Makes you wonder what Willy would think about ‘knell.’
Or ‘Ivanka’? Thinks Willy ‘Ivanka’ so funny?
Steve Bannon thinks 'Vanka’s “as dumb as a brick.”
Nowadays, ‘brick''s a funny word. (So, Steve, is ‘prick.’)

Makes you wonder if Willy’d think ‘Kushner’ so funny.

Chris Christie thinks Jared's both bitter 'n' sick.
Nowadays, ‘sick’'s a funny word. (So, Chris, is ‘kill’ --
as is 'kin,' 'lock'd up,' 'Newark' 'n’ 'Mockingbird Hill.'
You 'n' Jared are, both of you, critic'lly ill.
Makes you wonder what verdict might bring Uncle Will.)

Take 'Kellyanne Conway': that starts with a K.

How Ms. K rambles on how Hill's emails got hack'd

(now'days, 'hack'd' is a funny word) till she redacts

with black markers 'n' guile -- and alternative facts.
Makes you wonder: might Willy think truth has been jack'd?

What of ‘Huckabee Sanders’? Remarkably funny.

‘Remark’ is a funny word; Sarah’s sure are:
most remarkable, awful…and awf'lly bizarre.
I perceive Sister Sarah as chip off a block.
‘Block’ is funny now’days. Poppa Mike? He's a crock.
'Block,' Mike,' ‘crock’? Funny all. (As is, nowadays, ‘mock.')

     * Uncle Willy Clark, Walter Mathau's cantankerous retired 
vaudevillian in the filmed version of Neil Simon's 
Broadway comedy "The Sunshine Boys."

Profiles in Textiles & Textures: Mr. Teabags

"Mr. Teabags"

Chemical marker drawing over array of green teabags 
taped to 16" x 20" canvas

Profiles in Textiles & Textures: Robert Coaster

"Robert Coaster"

Charcoal drawing over gesso'd array of beer mats 

attached to 16" x 20" canvas

Profiles in Textiles & Textures: Material Girls: Sarah Huckabee Sandpaper

"Sarah Huckabee Sandpaper" 

Charcoal pencil and chemical marker on extra-course 
30-grit sandpaper glued to 16" x 20" canvas

Holding this portrait 
of a con artist 
is the artist 
(yes...an old man).

Disambiguation II: Sonny and Cher

See Bono relax on a Macy’s bergere?
That’s Sonny and chair -- not Sonny and Cher.
See Bono perturbing his pom poms with flair?
That’s Sonny and cheer -- not Sonny and Cher.

Marinating is Bono his barbecue fare?

That’s Sonny and char -- not Sonny and Cher.
Who’s Bono’s new partner? (What some people wear!)
That’s Sonny and Charo -- not Sonny and Cher.

Does Bono with infamous Communists pair?

That’s Sonny and Cho -- not Sonny and Cher.
Does Bono do dishes (“Jus’ doin’ my share”)?
That’s Sonny and chore -- not Sonny and Cher.

See Bono breathe Switzerland’s chill Alpine air?

That’s Sonny and Chur -- not Sonny and Cher.
See Bono kiss Charilyn? No love loss there.
That’s Sonny and Cher. Yep, that’s Sonny and Cher.

Drumpfstruck: an ABC for the 2020 Election Cycle

     Intro 
Stille Nacht? Don't breathe a word?
Don't give the game away?
Say nada? Don't tell Uncle?
Keep it under your beret?

Don't let the cat out of the bag?
That stuff is for the birds.
I'm here to say (with no cliché):
I've got a way with words.

     Verses 
I’m quick to quote an anecdote.
With bromides I’m most facile.
"To coin a phrai"? My métier.
A dictum? Hey! No hassle!

I’ve ghosted loads of episodes.

I’m feeble sans a fable.
At home with ev’ry gnome. 
To hatch a hapax? Not unable.

Fresh insights? Yea! Just out today.

I live to tell a joke.
My koans tease. And, if it please,
for legends, I’m your bloke.

I’ll match my mots with any's myth.

My narratives stand peerless.
My omens are…well, 'omen'ous.
With proverbs I’m felt fearless.

To quip’s my game, my claim to fame.

Romance? My stock in trade.
(Which tongue’s my saga? Onondaga.) 
Tales? A fusillade.

I’m no one’s dunce with utterance.

With verbiage I’m rife.
Most nits insist my witticisms
prick ‘em like a knife.

My axioms, x-rated though they be,

yield “puro d’or.”
The yarns I field yield zingers,
leaving rivals on the floor.

     Outro 
I’ve epithets and commonplaces,

sayings, apercus.
I’ve apophthegms and adages.
(Some aphorisms, too.)

I’m thick with theses. Mad for maxims.

Saws? I’ll not say ‘Nay!”
But if this gent stays President,
I’ll not know what to say.

Just Good or Bad?

Is there just up or down?
Just Haifa or Riyadh?
Just Zionist or Islamist?
Is there just good or bad?

Is there just A or Z?

Just whole shebang or tad?
Just epic verse or doggerel?
Is there just good or bad?

Pacifica or Fox?

Is there just Gwent or Galahad?
Just fake news or the truth well told?
Is there just good or bad?

Is there just First or Second Worlds?

(Have Third World folks been had?)
Is there just wealth or poverty?
Is there just good or bad?

Is there just male or female?

Just Mataji or Dad?
Twixt Yin or Yang there’s no such thang?
Is there just good or bad?

Is there just black or white?

Just moderate or rad?
Just Communist or Neo-con?
Is there just good or bad?

Is there just left or right?

Just fresh-faced frosh or grad?
Just senior cit or teen-age twit?
Is there just good or bad?

Is there just Choice or Right to Life?

Just credos ironclad?
Just shanty or McMansion?
Is there only good or bad?

Is there just atheist or deist,

avant-garde or trad?
Just Catholic or Calvinist?
Is there just good or bad?

Is there just red or blue?

Just eggshell white or plaid?
Just fire, water, earth or air?
Is there just good or bad.

Is there just I or thou?

Is there just sane or mad?
The missing link’s the one who thinks
there’s only good or bad.