#177
Dead and Done
Dying a swift death right now
Means I might die alone.
The great advantage that entails:
I never had to get or use
A fancy damn cell phone!
The Devil, you say..
#176
Choice
The Devil's at the crossroads,
Eager for a deal:
He'll give you all the World you want
Just your soul to steal.
Adapted from Thomas Nashe...
#175
Mortality
Brightness falls from evening air;
Queens have died both young and fair.
Dust hath closed grave Helen's eye;
Who are we to weep and sigh?
Andy Panda, three in a row...
#174
Andy Panda #8
Andy Panda had a pet,
A creature none of us had met;
He said it was the unicorn
Who missed the Ark and felt forlorn.
Andy Panda.
More Panda Possibilities
#173
Andy Panda #7
Andy Panda was a wreck
From his toes up to his neck;
The only thing that kept him sane
Was the cosmic Panda brain.
Andy Panda.
Panda Possibilities, number plenty...
#172
Andy Panda #6
I heard Andy Panda snore,
Louder than a Grizzly's roar;
It shook the chimney, shook the house,
Woke up Santa's live-in mouse.
Andy Panda!
The taxonomy of a little dog...
#170
Not So Simple Simon
The lines and curves and contours
Of a little dachshund dog--
The numerous parts and details
Of a doggy catalogue:
His silky coat and perky ears;
His perfect little nose;
His bright brown eyes
And tar black nails
On mighty thunder toes;
His sturdy pointed power tail
That wags with special grace,
As he dashes down to greet me
When his order's back in place.
These are all the reasons why
The loss of him would rip the sky
And leave delight a fierce deny--
Or do I over-simplify
For such a giddy Little Guy?
Grubb Street writers...
#169
This Poet
This poet never blots a line,
Though many fall far short of fine;
This poet never mends his verse,
Unless it ends with death or hearse,
For lately he has felt unwell
And cringes at the thought of Hell,
A literary enterprise
For poetasters, wits, magpies.
Christmas reflections....
#171
December 2011
Jupiter rules the star-rich night,
An ancient god cast out of light,
And yet, cast out he is indeed,
Replaced by the God of the Nicene Creed,
Who loves each planet, rock, and tree,
Who loves each soul--Adam to Thee.
Christmas Eve...
#161
The Night Before
It's 5 a.m.; the house is dark;
I've just heard the terrier bark.
I get my slippers, get my cane,
Try to ignore all aches and pain.
I check the window, check the door;
No one there; it's 5:04.
I'm back in bed by 5:08;
I love the dog; her bark I hate.
5:21: I hear her snore;
Next time I'll get a Labrador!
For Christmas, all I want is sleep;
Not every poem can be this deep.
Consider it my special gift;
(5:31: and I'm still miffed).
Andy Panda--He's Back...
#160
Andy Panda #5
Andy Panda loves peanuts,
Popcorn and cracker jacks.
Thus, he goes to the movies
Just to fill up on the snacks.
Andy Panda.
The Fall of a Man...
#159
Need a Job
Satan truly sifted me,
Late the other night:
I fell down in my bedroom,
And I wasn't even tight.
I bruised my foot upon a stand,
Banged my head severely.
My nerves are shot,
Everything hurts
Near twice as much as dearly.
Mr. Malaprop drops a dime....
#158
Say What?
He said I was a "nimbus";
I said I wasn't dumb!
He said I was a "niggard";
I called him a bum,
And said he'd better watch it,
Cause I knew where he was from.
Being confused...
#157
Being and Nothingness
Sometimes I sleep...
Sometimes I wake...
I never know clock time.
Therefore,
I turn myself into a verse
And seal it with a rhyme.
Panda Possibilities Again...
#156
Andy Panda #4
Andy Panda took a trip
In a faster-than-light ship.
Given the way that light is bent
Andy got back before he went.
Andy Panda!
What on Earth...?
#169
Caught
He wasn't sure yet how to move--
Slither, glide, or crawl.
The world beyond was huge and dense,
The blacktop hot beyond recall.
Then the hand came from the clouds
Like distant memories of the Fall--
Too late to slither, glide, or crawl.
Christmas anticipations...
#155
Lazarus
Lazarus sits beneath the tree,
Baubles, bangles, and presents three,
Dusty sackcloth down to his knee;
Here's a presence we have to see:
Lazarus under the Christmas tree.
Panda Possibilities Again...
#168
Andy Panda #16
Andy Panda went to school
To prove perchance he was no fool.
Yet Andy failed a major test;
He showed up in a chartreuse vest.
Andy Panda.
The British pedestrian...
#154
Jane
Standing on the corner,
Waiting for the light,
I see a young man glance at me,
With eye so sweetly bright.
Does he think me pretty?
Will he look again?
One moment of anticipation....
Would God had not made me plain.
Why the rhythm is off...
#153
Pain
It hurts to move my body,
Hurts to move my limbs:
I feel like a new-fangled martyr,
Subject to vile, Satanic wims.