901

How Heavy The Days

How heavy the days are.
There is not a fire that can warm me,
Not a sun to laugh with me,
Everything bare,
Everything cold and merciless,
And even the beloved, clear
Stars look desolately down,
Since I learned in my heart that
Love can die.

Thank you

Conversely, I have survived;
To find solace is in my heart.
When that lovely new thing arrived,
Melancholy ceased; we may both restart.
Heartache can't hold me; I'm not downbeat,
Even healthy again, as old retiree;
The golden days shared are sweet.

902

A STRANGE WILD SONG
By
Lewis Carroll

He thought he saw an Elephant
That practised on a fife:
He looked again, and found it was
A letter from his wife.
'At length I realize,' he said,
'The bitterness of life! '

He thought he saw a Buffalo
Upon the chimney-piece:
He looked again, and found it was
His Sister's Husband's Niece.
'Unless you leave this house,' he said,
'I'll send for the police! '

He thought he saw a Rattlesnake
That questioned him in Greek:
He looked again, and found it was
The Middle of Next Week.
'The one thing I regret,' he said,
'Is that it cannot speak! '

He thought he saw a Banker's Clerk
Descending from the bus:
He looked again, and found it was
A Hippopotamus.
'If this should stay to dine,' he said,
'There won't be much for us! '

He thought he saw a Kangaroo
That worked a Coffee-mill:
He looked again, and found it was
A Vegetable-Pill.
'Were I to swallow this,' he said,
'I should be very ill! '

He thought he saw a Coach-and-Four
That stood beside his bed:
He looked again, and found it was
A Bear without a Head.
'Poor thing,' he said, 'poor silly thing!
It's waiting to be fed! '

He thought he saw an Albatross
That fluttered round the lamp:
He looked again, and found it was
A Penny-Postage Stamp.
'You'd best be getting home,' he said:
'The nights are very damp! '

He thought he saw a Garden-Door
That opened with a key:
He looked again, and found it was
A Double Rule of Three:
'And all its mystery,' he said,
'Is clear as day to me! '

He thought he saw a Argument
That proved he was the Pope:
He looked again, and found it was
A Bar of Mottled Soap.
'A fact so dread,' he faintly said,
'Extinguishes all hope!

FINAL LEG

He thought he saw a peach that was
The same size as a truck
He looked again and found that it
Was Kim Kardashian's butt!
'I've never seen a peach,' he said,
'That's had a nip and tuck!'

He thought he saw a tiger shark
Perched there upon the stair,
He looked again and found it was
The wide-mouthed Cherie Blair.
'It's not a pretty sight,' he said,
'Thank God she isn't bare!'

He thought he saw a turtle on
Its hind-legs eating pie,
He looked again and found it was
The dreadful Stephen Fry.
'I do not like the guy.' he said,
'No matter how I try.'

He thought he saw some plasticine
Formed into something bland,
He looked again and found it was
The bug-eyed Miliband.
'If Ed should come to tea,' he said,
'Are bacon sarnies planned?'

He thought he saw a slab of meat
Draped round a pair of breasts,
He looked again and found that it
Was Lady Ga Ga's dress.
'Is that the Queen of Pop?' he said,
'She looks a bloody mess!'

He thought he saw a waxwork it
Was really very foul,
He looked again and found it was
A fading Simon Cowell.
'I see your Botox cream,' he said,
'Was laid on with a trowel!'

He thought he heard the Bee Gees
Sing falsetto in the night,
He looked again and found his under-
Pants were on too tight
'Get help!' he yelped, 'It feels as if
'Both balls are in a vice!'

He thought he saw a pop star dude
Who felt he was so cool,
But looked again and found it was
The wilful Bieber fool.
'I'll get a cop to cart him off,'
He yelled, 'the boy's a tool.'

He thought he saw a puffin
Down in Memphis, Tennesee
He looked again and found that it
Was Elvis up a tree.
'Though it's a ruddy noise,' he said,
'At least it's all for free!'

903

Remember

Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go, yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you plann’d:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.

Miss Christina Georgina Rossetti

Dismember

Dismember them with your hunting knife,
Butcher them until they're dead.
Slash away, cut off the man's head.
Blood floods out, you end a life,
Decapitate them, hurt a wife.
Sate your own latent barbarous need:
Truth - men are gagging, bleed.
Dismember them, be very brutal, rife
Remove that head, shadowy Islamic state,
Video men's death repugnantly,
Torture your hostages with your weaponry.
Behead men, no room for error;
Mohammed rules an ugly war of terror.
No no, no, no - not yet more tyranny!
Footnoting, in remembrance, eternally:
Al-Sayyed, Sotloff, Haines, Gourdel, Henning, Foley.....

904

"May the luck of the Irish
Lead to happiest heights
And the highway you travel
Be lined with green lights.
Wherever you go and whatever you do,
May the luck of the Irish be there with you."

St. Patrick's Day

There were three leprechauns from Galway,
who loved to hide in the hallway.
They'd give the devout
kegs of imbibing throughout.
Hehe! Hie, hie hither, youth! Unity always!

905

KISS ME, I'M IRISH
Gaelic Storm

Old songs and old stories,
They keep us alive.
Without our past,
We would never survive.
I am my island,
My island is me,
So you know what you can do
If you don't like what you see...

Kiss me, I'm Irish!
I am the wild rover.
My eyes they are smiling,
And I'm seldom sober.
I like my whiskey,
And I love to dance,
So if you're feeling as lucky as me, take a chance,
And kiss me, I'm Irish...

My heart beats a jig,
And me blood, it flows green.
I've been a rogue and a rambler
From ocean to sea.
And I like a Bevy,
Now and then, that I'll never deny.
But I only drink on the days of the week that end with a 'y'.
I'm no saint, I'm no sinner,
Of that there's no doubt.
I'll tell you the truth,
I am the one that your grandmother warned you about...

Dublin, Milwaukee, Cleveland and Cork,
Kerry, Chicago, Armagh, New York,
Belfast and Boston, Donegal and DC,
Raise your glasses and sing, sing, sing with me...

Kiss me, I'm Irish!

MAKE ME A SANDWICH
Garlic Item

Cold meats, cheese, and veggies,
They keep us alive.
Without the bread,
We would never survive.
I like Thousand Island,
Herbs and mayo and soy,
So you know what you can do
To my hunger destroy...

Make me a sandwich!
I'm abdominally greedy.
My tummy is rumbling,
I'm sesame seedy!
I like olive oil, dressing,
And I love my life,
So if you're sensing the feeling in me, take a knife,
And make me a sandwich...

My gut is so sore!
So I'll need a whole meal.
I like savory flavors
From okra to veal.
And I like a radish
Now and then, I will say.
But I only cook on the days of the week that end with a 'k'.
I'm obese, I'm not thinner,
Of this there's no doubt.
I'll tell you my chosen kinds
I shan't do without...

Monte Cristo, Hawaiian, Turkey on Toast,
Grinders and Gyros, Burritos and Roast,
Peanut Butter and Raisin Jelly,
Raise your slices and bring, bring, bring them to me...

Hurry, make me a sandwich!

906

PART TWO: NATURE

LXXXVIII

WE like March, his shoes are purple,
He is new and high;
Makes he mud for dog and peddler,
Makes he forest dry;
Knows the adder’s tongue his coming,
And begets her spot.
Stands the sun so close and mighty
That our minds are hot.
News is he of all the others;
Bold it were to die
With the blue-birds buccaneering
On his British sky.

EASTER EGGS

MMXV

I like March, he swooshed like a toad.
Lithe as the bunny;
Youthful as the shrewd Peter Rabbit,
Dogged and funny.
Interested, I miss her charms
Confounded. Around
Kind words which shatter the sad groom,
I got hardships, bound.
Next there is April, expecting
Soon it will be Easter.
"Open mother's basket," he shushed.
"Now I will kiss her!"