#1. Act III, Sc. 2
By Jorie Graham
Look she said this is not the distance
we wanted to stay at—We wanted to get
close, very close. But what
is the way in again? And is it
too late? She could hear the actions
rushing past—but they are on
another track. And in the silence,
or whatever it is that follows,
there was still the buzzing: motes, spores,
aftereffects and whatnot recalled the morning after.
Then the thickness you can’t get past called waiting.
Then the you, whoever you are, peering down to see if it’s
done yet.
Then just the look on things being looked-at.
Then just the look of things being seen.
#2. Disobedience
By A. A. Milne
James James
Morrison Morrison
Weatherby George Dupree
Took great
Care of his Mother
Though he was only three.
James James
Said to his Mother,
“Mother,” he said, said he;
“You must never go down to the end of the town, if
you don’t go down with me.”
James James
Morrison’s Mother
Put on a golden gown,
James James
Morrison’s Mother
Drove to the end of the town.
James James
Morrison’s Mother
Said to herself, said she:
“I can get right down to the end of the town and be
back in time for tea.”
King John
Put up a notice,
“LOST or STOLEN or STRAYED!
JAMES JAMES
MORRISON’S MOTHER
SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN MISLAID.
LAST SEEN
WANDERING VAGUELY
QUITE OF HER OWN ACCORD,
SHE TRIED TO GET DOWN TO THE END OF
THE TOWN – FORTY SHILLINGS REWARD!
James James
Morrison Morrison
(Commonly known as Jim)
Told his
Other relations
Not to go blaming him.
James James
Morrison’s Mother
Hasn’t been heard of since.
King John
Said he was sorry,
So did the Queen and Prince.
King John
(Somebody told me)
Said to a man he knew:
“If people go down to the end of the town, well, what
can anyone do?”
(Now then, very softly)
J.
M.
G. du P.
Took great
C/o his M*****
Though he was only 3.
J.
Said to his M*****
“M*****,” he said, said he:
“You-must-never-go-down-to-the-end-of-the-town-if-
you-don’t-go-down-with ME!”
somehistory says
“we wanted to stay at” Leave off the word “at.”
Poor grammar in a nonsense writing. Besides being really boring, it seems to be nothing but nonsense.
Mr. Milne, on the other hand, was a brilliant writer. This poem is full of meaning and emotion. Just as is Winnie the Pooh.
Phil Copson says
If it’s children’s poetry you’re after….
“On Correctly Selecting A Cat…”
Down by the sands – where the leaping cat lands
Are shops of the widest array –
But the best of the bunch – (if you’re looking for lunch…)
Is surely “The Pause Cat Café”
It’s mix of felinity – with sand and salinity
Is set in a kind habitat
But whomever your friends – the venture depends
On correctly selecting the cat!
Whatever your needs – there are numerous breeds
And for each there is much to be said –
“Is it large?” “Is it small?” “Does it come when you call?”
And “Does it leave crumbs in the bed?”
For the bolder kind of patron – then the Lion is a great one
It’s majestic as it ushers you inside
But you’d best observe it’s wishes
When it’s time to do the dishes
‘cos a large and hungry Lion has it’s pride!
Don’t bother with an Ocelot – for they really are a gross lot
And spend their time a-paddling in the sea….
When waiting at the table – they eat as much as they are able
In fact, I’d sooner have a Tiger round to tea!
I have to say: “The Leopard, he – may place you all in jeopardy
I wouldn’t even risk it for a day!”
You’ll find a cheetah’s neater – and it’s turn of foot is fleeter
Which is perfect when the patron doesn’t pay!
If you have a sense of humour – I would recommend a Puma
They’re so wonderful – and very widely read.
As a door-man they are zealous – but can get a little jealous
If they see you petting other cats instead…
Now that silly girl Samantha – said she’d much prefer a Panther
And I could see the Puma fume and count to ten…
But when it heard her say “Instead of…” –
It went quite mad – AND BIT HER HEAD OFF!
Now she’ll never say such silly things again!
Such dreadful kitty carnage – cannot work to your advantage
The councillors are known for getting vocal…
If you search among the tree-line – then there’s bound to be a feline
That’s considerably smaller and more local!
The Reticulated Ringwood – bounds around just like a spring would
The Variegated Verwood likes to please…
The Brindled Burmese Branksome – is both beautiful and handsome –
Though instead of catching mice – it catches fleas!
The Bob-Tailed Bournemouth Blue – is a whiz at serving stew
Freshly done each day upon a trivet…
If you let it know your wishes – it prepares your favourite dishes
While a civil Civet Cat sits by to sieve it!
If there still remain some sceptics – re these agile narcoleptics
Then come on in – and you won’t feel the same.
They have tight-rope skills like Blondin – and their inter-species bondin’
Would put your average Labrador to shame!
Now here we have to end it – to finish off and send it
To say “That’s it.” and “That’s the end of that.”
I know you know I’m teasing – but I hope you find it pleasing
Season’s Greetings to a very special cat….
(written for a friend’s “Cat Cafe” in Bournemouth, on the South Coast of England. You’ll have to excuse the slightly “Woke”-sounding bits about “kind habitats” and “inter-species bonding” – I took those from her web-site just to show I’d read it…)
Ernie says
Thanks Phil Copson ; I love it , brilliant !
Phil Copson says
Thanks, Ernie. We strive to please….
The “Winnie-the-Pooh” connection – that I meant to point out to “somehistory” – is the line: “Is it large? Is it small? Does it come when you call?” I was making a nod towards Pooh and Piglet’s adventure with digging a “Heffalump trap – for Heffalumps” and Piglet’s nervous nightmare beforehand about what a Heffalump was actually like… “Did it come when you called? And HOW did it come? Was it fond of pigs at all…?”
(The fictitious breeds of local cat are just plays on place names around Bournemouth – Ringwood, Verwood, and Branksome Chines.)
somehistory says
I appreciate the thoughts, Phil. I tried to understand what I was reading. I bought several books about Pooh for my young granddaughter, and we read them together.
I don’t know much about cats….I’m very allergic to things they carry on their fur, even though we had a large number of them as pets at one time.
thank you for the explanation you provided. 🙂
Westman says
Wonderful, delightful, and inventive, Phil!
Phil Copson says
Thanks, Westman. ” ‘Tis a small thing – but mine own…”
(Alternatively: “Ya thinks it up – ya writes it down. What’s the big deal? Sure, it’s good – it should be: I spent ten years in San Quentin on a phoney murder rap writing appeals to the State Parole Board. I’d have written the Gettysburg Address too, but I didn’t have the Zip Code.” – Marlow)
As my one-and-only attempt at a children’s poem/comic recitation, I think it came out reasonably ok. However, given that ” A gentleman is somebody who could write poetry – but doesn’t.” – I think I’ll leave it there. Quit while you’re ahead etc.
(What better example to follow than Kenneth Graham who wrote the timeless classic “The Wind In The Willows”and then wisely knocked it on the head and returned to the humble day job of being Assistant Governor of the Bank of England?)
Similarly, in films – I have never seen Marisa Tomei in anything other than “My Cousin Vinny” where she absolutely nails it as floundering trial lawyer Joe Pesci’s loud “Noo Yawk” girlfriend, and I wouldn’t want to.
Same with Linda Fiorentino in modern-day film noir “The Last Seduction”, and Jeffrey Jones as beleaguered headmaster “Ed Rooney” in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, who resembles an increasingly maddened fighting-bull having rings effortlessly run round him by “golden boy” student Ferris Bueller.