Robert Sherriff - Australian - Poet -Author - Singer-Actor - American Historian – Photographer- Dedicated TO Jayde Sherriff
Tragic Disaster and "The Sound of Silence"
This tragic disaster brings to mind Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel's haunting melody, "The Sound of Silence." It echoes the silent battles I've faced, walking daily with the shadow of suicide as my constant companion.
Paul Simon - Domestic abuse
Simon married singer Edie Brickell on May 30, 1992. They have three children: Adrian, Lulu, and Gabriel. On April 26, 2014, Simon and Brickell were involved in a domestic dispute. Each was issued a summons to appear in court on disorderly conduct charges.
Robert Sherriff - Australian - Poet -Author - Singer-Actor - American Historian – Photographer- Dedicated TO Jayde Sherriff
Tragic Disaster and "The Sound of Silence"
This tragic disaster brings to mind Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel's haunting melody, "The Sound of Silence." It echoes the silent battles I've faced, walking daily with the shadow of suicide as my constant companion.
Paul Simon - Domestic abuse
Simon married singer Edie Brickell on May 30, 1992. They have three children: Adrian, Lulu, and Gabriel. On April 26, 2014, Simon and Brickell were involved in a domestic dispute. Each was issued a summons to appear in court on disorderly conduct charges.
‘the sole surviving minnow floats
recipe-laden toward the NGO* shark’
~ edie-bidi chili-bidi
Please write a 300-word
essay on the prize-winning
poem above. You may select
one of the topics below:
“The Role of Dietary Laws
in Water-Based Poetry”
or
“Cultural Mores in the Face of
Soluble Uncertainty”
or
“Psycholinguistic Advantages for
Poets of Double-hyphenated Names”
Please place your
smart-phones
in the box on my
desk… and begin!
*NGO = 'Non-Government Organism'
Good luck, class!
(You'll need it).
Firecrackers will ever crack,
And you will always have my back.
Do you think, when we took that car,
We might have gone a bit too far?
I don't think when you drove that loop,
We went too far with the coupe.
Anyway, there's no way to prove -
You see, the tires did not move.
We need not be doing time -
Dancing to Dorsey is no crime.
Tires not moving, it was hearsay -
No crime to dance to Jimmy Dorsey.
I could say the very same
Of dancing to Harry James.
I like Glen Miller! D'ya know a
Place we can do the Balboa?
Country bike rides, sharing clothes -
What wonderful times were those!
We shared them with our kid brother
Who hit one pitch after another.
Just three kids out in the sticks -
Edie, Esther, Buddy Hicks.
UNDER THE GLASS CEILING part 1
Mary and Angelica ,ladies of great renown
Painters extraordinaire in Ol' London town
Still life,portraits & history on a grand scale-
Left out of a group painting because they were not male !
NOTE Mary Moser & Angelica Kauftmann help to found the R & A but were left out of the 1770's painting of Academicians .There were to be no other women members until 1922.
UNDER THE GLASS CEILING part 2
Forbears,Edie,Kate and Ann
furnished with brush and pan.
Each a Victorian 'Miss'
tied in service's abyss.
NOTE Upstairs and down stairs ,no in between,just thirteen and just there to please as Master and Lady take their ease.
THROUGH THE GLASS CEILING
Deborah,God annointed Judge&Prophetess
a matriarch,overseer of men,..no less;
Mary,at Jesus feet,studied...just as a man
in Christ there is no gender ban
"Somewhere there's somebody who looks just like you do
Acts just like you, too, feels the same way
Somewhere there's a person in a faraway place
With a different name and a face that looks like you"
- Edie Brickell, The Wheel.
From the sixth floor of my office, there are three birds sitting on the top of my car. I wonder what they talk about all this time.
The sun sinks down, reclusive from the longer days.
The heat dips lower, slipping into moderate moodiness.
The shadows grow long, longer than my blond hair, which was dyed two months ago. My dark roots are stubborn, still showing.
While I work, a what could be me slips past me. It chirps a polite excuse me, while I make copies.
Glancing down I notice my shoe is untied.
My perfume of tang and green tea lingers one step behind her.
My skin trembles
I feel the air from the polite stranger, turning around I see she is draped in costly clothes. Black from head to toe.
In my mind, my hands grasp at the threads.
They are thin but strong, they do not break.
Grabbing at the chance of making it out of the doors before they shut.
Forbears,Edie,Kate and Ann furnished apiece with brush and pan.Each
Victorian 'Miss' tied in service's abyss.Far off days,now long gone,their toil each
day was lengthy and long.With fires to light,floors to scrub,and carpets to brush
and drub.Mops forbidden,as they smeared the dirt and begrimed their prim
alpaca aproned skirt.They cleaned 'his' tub,emptied 'her' commode,a regular
chore in a housemaid's daily load.Must rise at six but never to mix and no matter
what,keep a stiff upper lip.Never lose your cool,a formal curtsey the perpetual
rule.Half day off once per month,so free to roam and catch the omnibus home.No
other opportunities in store except a marriage at eighteen or before.Upstairs and
down stairs ,no in between,starting out at just thirteen and just there to please as Master and his Lady take their ease.
“I must have gotten that from you”
That’s what my daughter Edie said
In reference to her perfect feet
Which I so often said I had
My math class is easy for me
“I must have gotten that from you”
That’s what my daughter Erin said
Taking calculus at the U.
My daughter Ellen plays guitar
And she has said these words to me
“I must have gotten that from you”
As we play for the family
Both of my parents have passed on
Yet, I see them in things I do
That’s when I wish l could tell them
“I must have gotten that from you”
It was many years ago
Mar and I tied the knot
And the good times were many
And the bad ones we forgot
Had Erin; Ellen; Edie
So we upped the people count
And then, each of them, in turn
Added more to the amount
We’re here now to celebrate
Something of momentous size
Marlys turning seventy
And the market took a dive
So raise your glasses on high
Let’s toast to the very one
Whose Birthday provided us
With all this good food and fun
You were born in 1919 in Trenton, New Jersey,
Television would be your medium for comedy.
Your first appearance to the public was in 1950.
This was an early morning show broadcast by NBC
Preceding “The Today Show”, it was called “Three to Get Ready”.
Over the next several years, you would be seen on TV
on many different shows on both NBC and ABC.
From Philadelphia and New York with your wife Edie,
you entertained countless numbers with brilliant comedy.
musical trio of gorillas from Nairobi,
along with many of your different characters would be
appearing on your shows that boosted your popularity.
Poet Percy Dovetonsils was someone we would often see.
With his thick glasses, he would read us some funny poetry.
Many television viewers saw you with a cigar.
With your wife Edie Adams, your career certainly went far.
As well as television, you made several movies.
A car accident was the cause of your fatal injuries.
This happened just before your birthday in 1962.
Since January the thirteenth of that year, we have missed you.
Edie cries for everyone, thrown into bins
Dylan cried the blues
Joni parted yellow curtains
At The Chelsea this afternoon
overpaid prophets,
socialites and sattelites collide.
Take me away
bring me back to that Chelsea.
Broken free will combusts,
change your frame,
carry a shudder
but hold on so tight,
grasp irrelevant notions.
Keep everything at bay,
when the facade crumbles
you'll fall apart.
Nothing keeps you up.
When you were living in The Chelsea
I would walk by everyday.
When the glamour of it fades
you are empty and gone,
your blood wont flow
and you'll break down.
When you realize you aren't whole anymore.
Twenty eight, seventy one.
Faded.
When you trust too much.
Forbears,Edie,Kate and Ann furnished apiece with brush and pan.Each
Victorian 'Miss' tied in service's abyss.Far off days,now long gone,their toil each
day was lengthy and long.With fires to light,floors to scrub,and carpets to brush
and drub.Mops forbidden,as they smeared the dirt and begrimed their prim
alpaca aproned skirt.They cleaned 'his' tub,emptied 'her' commode,a regular
chore in a housemaid's daily load.Must rise at six but never to mix and no matter
what,keep a stiff upper lip.Never lose your cool,a formal curtsey the perpetual
rule.Half day off once per month,so free to roam and catch the omnibus home.No
other opportunities in store except a marriage at eighteen or before.Upstairs and
down stairs ,no in between,starting out at just thirteen and just there to please as
Master and his Lady take their ease.
Why is it I was blessed
Im sure Ill never know,
But fate chose me
With a precious gift to bestow.
For you see I was not aware
Of the treasure I was to hold,
A warmth from deep within
Saving my heart from the cold.
I hope I will always be worthy
And never take for granted,
How my breath was taken
And left completely enchanted.
I promise to give of myself
Until my last breath is spent,
Because I was blessed with
An angel that Heaven sent.
2004
Edie Hendrikse
Turn down the lights
This night our love flows free,
Hold me close
And dance with me.
Candle light glowing
Your scent makes me hungry,
Feeling your warmth
Please dance with me.
My fingers in your hair
The music soft and dreamy,
Your hands upon my hips
Come dance with me.
Your mouth close to my ear
Singing softly right on key,
Words that melt my heart
While you dance with me.
Your lips upon mine
Hearts beating rapidly,
Your body growing hard
As you dance with me.
Our bodies joining
Your love felt so deeply,
Passion exploding
Always dance with me.
Eyes locked together
Our fingers joined tightly,
A love ever lasting
Simply dance with me.
2005
Edie Hendrikse
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