Best Harvey Poems
Harvey Denning
1909 – 1923
“I saw the universe a thousand times.”
I saw the face of God
Spread out across the sky
Like a million cities on fire.
Like Troy cut into little pieces
By the slashing sword of Achilles.
Cut to shreds and bleeding.
There on the ramparts
There inside the fissures and crevices
Of ten thousand unknown dreams.
I read the stories of Homer
And the tales of a thousand and one Arabian nights.
And I read the solemnly immortal words
Of Longfellow, Poe and Defoe.
And I decided inside my mind long before I died
To perhaps write the greatest story ever told.
But I fell from my tree house
There on Dorland Street
There in the cool shadows of the walnut tree.
What would have been my story I wonder.
What visions would I have conjured
For all to read and envision?
My friend, will you write my story now?
Will you take pen in hand and possess my voice?
Will you find the noble courage to speak for me?
This forgotten dead soul
Buried here in the dark dust of Clark Cemetery?
If you kindly consent,
Please begin it with these words:
“I saw the universe a thousand times.”
Harvey the Hippo
Harvey is a huge hippopotamus
Who bathes in a bay that is bottomless
HIs mouth is as large as a riverboat barge
And he weighs ten times more than a lot of us
Big Harvey isn’t nasty or troublesome
Nor like other guys who are double dumb
He just wanders around stomping the ground
Looking for pieces of bubble gum
Harvey owns a fine yellow cummerbund
And sewn on the back is the number one
He wears it right proudly and bellows quite loudly
While playing outside in the summer sun
Once Harvey met up with a crocodile
Together they decided to walk a mile
Near the shore they strolled, but the water got cold
So they sat down to talk on the dock a while
Eating Oreo cookies about four apiece
They talked about matters of war and peace
They discussed the economy, art, and astronomy
And the huge immigration of foreign geese
Then walking back toward his new shiny house
Harvey stopped for a chat with a tiny mouse
Her name was Du Barry; they decided to marry
And soon come a baby named Stanislaus
A handsome young child was Stanislaus
Dressed up in his fine silken Spanish blouse
They all had made history; this was no mystery
For Stan was the first Hippopotamouse
Huge Harvey adored his sweet ladylove
From her wee little feet to her head above
He brought her some strings and other fine things
Including a snowy white turtledove
Harvey has grown really mellow now
He seldom produces a bellow now
But if you’re down by the bay, you can still see him play
This wondrous and gentle old fellow now
How about Carol wears the curtain rods?
That would be hysterical.
No one else got it.
But I am Harvey Korman and I have some say.
Most popular episode in history.
Even Vicky is not as popular unless she is mama.
Vicky as Carol's mama is hilarious.
This show gets better every second.
Then we grab up Tim Conway.
I have never laughed so hard in all my life.
He cracks me up totally.
And we are in front of a live audience!
My days on earth were the best.
Carol Burnett could fall down better than anyone
And get more laughs with just a glance than
All the rest of us put together.
My name is Harvey Honeybee,
I like to buzz around,
I'm looking for some flowers,
But they're nowhere to be found!
I've been looking for days,
And lots of lonely nights,
And it surely seems like,
Something has happened to my sights!
Where are all my buzzy friends,
I wonder where they could be?
I can still remember,
When they use to buzz with me!
Oh! I remember now!
I was caught in a jar!
And I must've been in it...
Longer than an hour!
I also remember!
I was caught in the summer!
Then turned loose into this winter cold!
While still in a slumber!
So I'd better go...
Before I freeze!
The wind is really cold!
And It's making me sneez-z-ze...AH-CH-O-O-O!!!
So I'll see ya later...
Because I want to stay alive...
Yes, I have to hurry...
And get back to my hive.
Fire
Flames – destroying everything –
Flames – I felt their heat –
The whirling world – it cannot stand—
In fevered circuit melts.
Those flames traverse
Throughout my bones,
Rage, hot, across my nerves,
Consuming all the stars I see
In heaven’s stretched-out canopy.
Fire – burning in my soul –
Fire – I felt its heat—
The dervish lust was scarce concealed
When he kissed my feet.
My firm and frail virginity--
My bosom -- plucked by him,
No apples bit in Paradise
More ample with our sin.
Flames – destroying everything –
When true love caught me up
From that false vintage that I quaffed
From a false Loving Cup.
O, you burnt brighter than the lust
That, fiery, op’d my doors;
And in your passion, warm with love,
A galaxy was born.
Jan. 11, 2009 Istanbul
Background for this poem: Lee Harvey Oswald was falsely accused of killing President
Kennedy. I was in contact with Lee only 37 1/2 hours before the assassination. Don't believe
what propaganda-writing paid flunkies have written about me or about LHO. The cover-up is
real, and thinking people now have the evidence on YouTube and elsewhere. See my website
at http://www.judythvarybaker.com for more information. I'm writing this note of
explanation because other poems here also refer to Lee Oswald, such as "The Magazine
Bus," and "Lord of the Galaxies." My book, Me & Lee: How I Came to Know, Love and Lose
Lee Harvey Oswald, will be published this spring by Trine Day Publications. This is the latest
of dozens of poems written about LHO, some of which are published here at Poetr Soup.
HARVEY WALL-BANGERS
Having a good time drinking Harvey Wall-bangers
Always watching out on how much I drink
Reaching into an unknown realm of alcohol
Very tempting this drink can be to one and all
Enlivening me to unknown territory can be tempting
Yolanda my friend can sure be a bad influence
Whispering along with all those lyrics of songs
All being off tune and not sounding of rock and roll
Loud we all are and way off base and can take critisim
Lead singer went on vacation now we all can’t sing
Bringing so much cheer we all get along with lots of things
Another day starts and we’re all feeling so far off key
Neal Armstrong is not roaming around near here to see
Give us another song and we may be able to reach a crescendo
Enlivening this place is like living among the high in Los Dango
Really I have to tell you now, I really do not like drinking Harvey Wall-bangers.
Sincerely all my friends and I now and then do have fun without drinking alcohol.
REALLY LIFE CAN BE LIKE SOME KIND OF METAPHOR!!
08/20/16
The Hurricane was Harvey
By Franklin Price
8/31/2017
The hurricane was Harvey, what an unassuming name
Left the western Yucatan. across the Gulf he came
Building up his power to a category four
Slammed into the Texas coast with wind, and rain, and more
Coming into Rockport with winds one thirty some
Evacuate or hunker down, to damage he has come
He leveled many buildings, and shut the power down
He sent his rains to Houston, to sit there and to pound
Houston, a large city, fourth largest in the land
Rained so hard, in hours, was no dry place to stand
Rained a record fifty inches, that's the Roman numeral L
Overflowed the bayous, made life a living hell
Few had evacuated, of six million people plus
Would have been impossible, a traffic jamming fuss
Bumper to bumper everywhere with auto, truck and bus
Would even make the best of us, wring our hands and cuss
The water rose, it did not stop, covered roads from fork to fork
More area than the cities of Chicago and New York
No one quite expected Harvey to sit and pour
Until the first floors flooded and headed for the second floor
Water, many places, flowing fast and overhead
Rescue workers needed or thousands would be dead
Boats and trucks and copters came to do the work
Reminiscent of the rescue, of the soldiers, at Dunkirk
The heroes came from everywhere, left their families and friends
To risk their lives for others, and the rescuing begins
Hour after hour, from rooftops, trees and cars
Stranded ones were rescued by strangers from afar
The Cajun Navy from Louisian, the governor called the guard
Florida sent their Fish and Game, rescuing long and hard
Soon more than thirty thousand were brought to drier land
Rescuers so exhausted that they could hardly stand
Still they kept on going on helping all of those in need
And took them to the shelters where they could sleep and feed
Some died in the effort, not all in need were found
Some rescuers gave their all, and no longer are around
This is what life is all about, the way that it should fall
We should respond to others' needs, for the better good of all
Think about your fellow man, in all you do and say,
Don't be the Harvey victim, be the rescuer today.
Captain Harvey the King of School
Captain Harvey still goes to school
He doesn’t like it, but he is no fool
He goes each and every day
Because he knows he will learn that way.
What the teachers don’t seem to know
That Captain Harvey needn’t go
Because Captain Harvey is the King of School
He just uses it as a necessary tool
He knows that sometimes it’s not really cool
If others think you are a fool
He doesn’t wear his underpants on the top of his clothes
Nobody can see them there so everybody knows
Like other Captains he’s read about who wear them on the top
He wears them where they should be when he bought them from the shop.
Captain Harvey runs real fast
None can catch him, he is a blast
He pretends to fail some of the time
But everyone knows that’s not a crime
Harvey the Captain, the King of school
Has a little brother and he’s kind not cruel
Captain Harvey is paving the way
For when brother Max starts school one day
Captain Harvey and his brother
They will be a good strong team
The King will have a partner; they will be the real cream
The boy Max will need a title that won’t make the others wince
It will be Harvey the King of School and introducing his little prince.
Written for my G nephews Harvey and Max to encourage Harvey who hates school .
This long time doodling Yankee
(who calls Southeastern Montgomery, Pennsylvania LV
plus III four seasons visited
upon swath of topography to see
and hear flora and fauna over run
via industrialization he doth experience pity
sympathy, humanity deafening cacophony undermining
once abundant bounty, which mutiny
upon bounty outwits mother nature in this REAL LIFE “GAME” of jeopardy
where survival of the fattest dominates avast geography
thence a tempest in a global teapot doth brew
which phenomena Gaia foments, inducing meteorologists due
tee fully issuing catastrophic fallout asper category 5 carved foo
tang clan along Gulf Coast
reserving special vengeance (alas domino effect)
for oil derricks hue mans insatiably drill into
ever more difficult to access reservoirs sans fossil fuels, but Jew
blintz echoes across watery expanse when excavator loo
king for liquid gold hit a mother lode (or off shoot) exciting new
man hick pumps furiously fracking gnome hatter
watching grim faced absent magic spells such as phew
fi foe...aghast at the rapacious, pernicious, malicious....rue
th less ness heaped upon Planet Earth,
where tipping point
re: specifically *****Sapiens over population will true
lee interrogate meteorological altercations, conflagrations, and
exterminations of multitudinous botanical & animal genus or species
as wrath of monster storms akin to a oceanic brigand
wreaking loss of life and limb, additionally bringing destruction
as megadeath metal lick ha - monstrous maelstrom
mercilessly muscles itself when making land
fall, where record rainfall submerges once smug Texans man
dated to evacuate far from the pan
demon harum-scarum as retribution for incessant lambasting wan
ton ness exploiting terrestrial resources selfishly will eventually ban
hush the dominant primate requisitioned to become extinct – anon.
I thought I saw a big Easter bunny
when it hopped it looked really funny,
so I put my beer glass down
and then began my big frown...
it's my wife at the bar wanting money!
The world of Harvey Weinstein
Has spun out from his control
His brother went and fired him
Amidst the hyperbole
But Donald Trump can save him
For neither know remorse
And groping seems so natural
You know they'll stay the course
Their victims band together
Sharing everlasting shame
If no one is responsible
Then God must take the blame
But Sherlock Holmes can quickly
Identify the fool
Who really needs an actress
To fix a worn-out tool?
Hurricane Harvey arrived in the night,
pushing tidal waters onto the shore.
And wailing in the dark, absent of light,
His deadly winds surround His inner core.
Sucking up gulf waters, He spews out rain,
the torrential downpours flooding the ground.
And in His wake, destruction, death, and pain
abound; as the rains continue to pound.
The rivers peek and the sewers back up,
a slurry or water begins to rise.
And folks that hunkered down run out of luck,
now needing rescue, the world hears their cries.
Texans are tough; they don't come much tougher
but even they; aren't too tough to suffer.
(Sonnet)
8/30/2017
An Ode to the Harvey Heroes
Once upon a time not so long ago
Nature did spur a Harvey in the Gulf of Mexico
As the storm grew into a hurricane
Winds howled and then came the rains
Poor Texas got in the way
And it rained day after day
High water turned into floods
Leaving everyone scurrying including the blue bloods
Onto their roofs they did climb to survive the storm
With so much rain well above the norm
Little did they know a rescue mission was on the go
An impromptu navy of people they didn’t even know
Night and day their saviors were on a mission to rescue
Not knowing the dangers they faced for they didn’t have a clue
But despite the risk and the unknown
How to respond they have us shown
With a great amount of caring and daring
Many a life has been saved though some succumbed to an early grave
So what do we call the brave men and women from far and wide
A hero is what I say and I am not being snide
For they have saved the day for so many of our kin
Not saying thank you and our appreciation would be a sin
So here it is in spades “Thank you” to all who lent a helping hand
And that’s from all of us from across the land
Though things are far from over and done
Many will see a rising sun
Andreas Simic©
A stranger turned into a friend,
You brighten my mornings no end.
It’s great to say hi
To a really nice guy
On whose greeting I’ve come to depend.
This pandemic has seemed to erase
Interactions we used to embrace
But at least we can chat
And I’m grateful for that,
Though one day, maybe I’ll see your face!
*I see Harvey on my early morning walks in the city.
We met during the pandemic and are both masked, of course...
Harvey
I sit in my chair
Lovely music playing;
Afternoon sun shining;
Birds filling up to roost.
I look out my sliding doors;
The ferns are lush.
I hear a baby cry,
There is a sloshing sound,
Muscle sore boatmen
Never giving up.
Just a short way south,
Could I but see through the trees.
Last night fell.
Wet ladies from a nursing home,
May have to battle pneumonia.
Children’s new backpacks drowned.
Soon there will be silence and slushing,
Hovering people in shelters bewildered.
Families clinging.
No work today, except to survive.
When all is lost.
Politicians doing what they do.
And yet, Harvey has not died, nor does he sleep.
Soon again, it will be dark.