Search This Blog

Sunday, January 28, 2024

A is for A: An Illuminated Alphabet in Verse: Letters K & R

         K is for K:










     

     "I've built a Vitamin!" "That right...?
      So: whatcha gonna call it...?" 
     "Kalloo, kallay! I'll call it 'K.'
      With koin 'twill fill my wallet."


      R is for R:













       Readin.' 'Rightin.' 'Rithmetic: Aren't
      'R's the starts of these...?
       Not true; not true: the final two
       show, first, apostrophes!

A is for A: An Illuminated Alphabet in Verse: Letters L & Q

         L is for L







         
         Chicago's got (as Nome has not)
         an elevated Metro,
         one written 'L.' (I know it well:
         it's 'Loop'y, loud...and retro!)


         Q is for Q












         Intelligence -- i.e., good sense -- 
         one measures using 'Q.'
         Here's all you do: to age times 2 
         add... (I've no clue! Have you...?)

The Punday Funnies: Lt. Joe

Lieutenant Joe: remember him...?*
"You've got to be taught."
I pray for muscles firm 'n' trim:
"O, Gott! To be taut!"
     *Joseph Cable is the character 
       in Rodgers and Hammerstein's 
     "South Pacific" who sings the 
      lyric mentioned above.

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Runcibl'd Spooner: Hunter

Drumpf wants Joe's kid 
gagg'd 'n' bound:
"Vermin...? Hunter Biden!"
     Wimsey's valet's 
gone to ground: 
Mervyn Bunter,* hidin.' 
     Moral:
"The prey's afoot."
(Most aptly put.)
     *Bunter is Lord Peter Wimsey's valet 
in a series of novels by Dorothy Sayers.

Monday, January 22, 2024

A is for A: An Illuminated Alphabet in Verse: Letters X, Y & Z

            X is for X:









           
           "If you'd commit some unknown bit 
            to paper doing math,
            just write an 'X,'" advise most techs.
           "Elect no other path."


            Y is for Y:














           When needing space to park thy face,
           but not some place prestigious,
           'tis best to hie thee to the Y,
           tho' y'all be irreligious.


           Z is for Z:













          A doze, a rest, three winks, siest-
         -a, nap, a nod, a trance
          be what's required. In short: I'm tired!
        (At least one Z, perchance...?)

A is for A: An Illuminated Alphabet in Verse: Letters U & T

        T is for T:








     
     Ask'd "True or false: The Skaters' Waltz
     was done by one Waldteufel...?" 
     I'd answer 'T.' ('F,' 'N,' you see,
     or 'B' leave me annoyful.)


     U is for U:
 












     Burmese PM (une homme, non femme),
     their very first: U Nu.
     U Thant...? Not so; nor Goryeo.*
    (A playwright, too: who knew...?)**

          *A Korean dynasty from 918 to 1392 with
           no significant relation to Burma now known 
           as Myanmar.
           **U Nu wrote several plays, among them 
           The Sound of the People Victorious.

Sunday, January 21, 2024

A is for A: An Illuminated Alphabet in Verse: Letters V & P

        V is for V:









     There's Wade v. Roe. There's Brown v. Bo-.
     There's Griswold v. Connecticut.
     What's pending...? Me v. Tweedledee
     in re a bouncing check he cut.


               P is for P:












                           
               PE's lead...? 'P'! PC's need...? 'P'!
              'P' kickstarts P&G!
             (Plus, scored in threes, 'P's prompt flutes: "Ple-e-e-ease...
              toot su-per-qui-et-ly!")

Saturday, January 20, 2024

Two Imagist Poems

     I'm an Imagist 

I'm wash'd up on the beach. I'm left out in the rain.
I'm placed, enwrapp'd 'n' ribbon'd, 'neath the tree.
I'm, oarless, up the creek. I'm dribbl'd down the drain.
I'm baked, en croute, with figs, into the brie.
     I've terraform'd the Moon. I've reinvented fire.
I've never met a debt I didn't hike. 
I've misspelt 'pantaloon.' I've drain'd the Grimpen Mire.
I'm introducing yet another Reich.
     I've grown a second head. I've join'd the D.A.R.
I've licensed new translations from the Greek.
I've learn'd to print a gun. I'm soon to cross the bar.
I'm something to behold. Here: take a peek!

     Rhymagism 

          (Pace William Carlos Williams)

So: so much
depends

on my rosy red
gamp

to defend against 
damp 

so no white chickens  
end 

as mad as wet 
hens.

Thursday, January 18, 2024

A is for A: an Illuminated Alphabet in Verse: Letters S & W

        S is for S








     If Fuehrer's faves ('bout whom Herr raves)
     I'd deign to designate, 
     I'd 'S' redact -- 'SS,' in fact --
     for "bruv's we love to hate."


     W is for W:










     Herbert Walker play'd the Hawk. Herr
     Prescott play'd the Banker.
     Jeb play'd Pol, while W,* y'all
     recall, play'd quite the ________.**

            *Pronounced, as does the man himself, in
              two syllables: 'Dubb'-yuh.'
            **'Canker,' 'shanker,' '(blank)er' -- even 
             "stanker" are all correct entries.

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

A is for A: an Illuminated Alphabet in Verse: Letters F & O

                    F is for F:    







             When temp's portray'd in Centigrade 
             @ 31 degrees,
             if 'F' I write (for 'Farenheit'),
             who'd not expect to freeze...?!


                    O is for O:










            "O beautifoo-..."; "O say can you...";
            "O little town o' Beth-...":
             each shows an 'O.' (So, poets know,
             does "Where's thy sting, O Death...?".)

Monday, January 15, 2024

A is for A: an Illuminated Alphabet in Verse: Letters M & J

                M is for M:











                             
                En France, when yer address'd 'Monsieur,' 
                those frogs insert an 'M'
                before yer name. So: what's their game...? 
                Be Brits the same as them...?


                J is for J:
 

                 Giraffes o' Sport break -- fast! -- down court,
                 the net to get the ball in.
                 Their go-to play...? The Jumpshot (J)...
                 ...at least 'til Js stop fallin.'

Litany Chanted Over Schrödinger's Box

Is he dead yet...? 'Yes' or 'No'...?  All'd 'God Bless!' if 'Yes,' you know.  Is he dead yet...? Don...