For Natasha, written: 08-23-2026
steamed, beheaded jumbo shrimp
deveined awful good
size clearly misunderstood
freeze burn soon seen
off tasting, dunked in
cocktail sauce
yum!
Come play mumbo jumbo mumblety peg,
To see who goes first, we spin a raw egg.
Come be a sport.
Free beer by the quart.
We’ll let you keep a finger and maybe a leg.
Hit
and run
elephant
chasing me now.
How fast can an angry elephant run?
Does anyone know how Jumbo The Elephant died?
Hit by a freight train, succumbed quickly, no dry eyes
Poor thing had no chance
His soul made a ghost dance
People around reacted with sadness, quietly cried
I have come to say
That there’s been days
When I been deeply in pain
When the subject has been the same
But now I’m 18
And I have seen
The angry gray
The happy mood of May
The upsetting shade of blue
But some trends aren’t new
I have been dismayed
I have seen loved ones pass away
I have been in defeat
I have seen hope that has been beat
I have not lived half enough
I had to at time be all the way tough
But at my age I been through a lot
I had to untangle big knots
But that’s what I had to say
MUMBO-JUMBO
It is a hog-wash
My cube is my space
My space is colorless
Only if I am emotionless
Our jungle was mumbo
Murmuring the word Jumbo
It is a state of nonsense that makes sense
Collectively we strike like an orange mind
Working as if there is no box
For we refuse to think out of the box
When am moody ...
I became shy off my shine
I am on a cruise to my space
Shilling like there is no morrow
Creating a disruptive space was emotive
But we did it like a snap of finger away
Unknowingly ... we are turning vampires
Gradually ... our color fading away from red
Seamlessly ... our blood turning orange
Alayande Stephen T.
24/05/2015
4.22pm
At Orange Academy, in a class where disruption reigns supreme, it was Mumbo-Jumbo.
If only we could fly like
those that tweet or hoot
without aid of jet or
parachute
For I sure don't like
wings that roar
just so that they take off
and soar
Ah to fly without diesel
or fuel
Oh to halt that midair
duel
Birds they don't pollute
the air
nor need they any airline
fare
So if only I too could rise
and glide
and let the wind be my
sole guide
I'd be happy to fly all the
way to 'em' stars
if I was assured I'd risk
no charred scars.
Flying without aviation
formalities
I could be sightseeing
many more cities
Ah I so wish to fly just
like a jay or jackdaw
Then I'd fly across all and
every border
For I'd know nor follow
no man-made law!
Captain Mumblebury
He is no dumbo
A UFO pilot from
The planet Mumbo
A little known planet
Shaped like a spoon
Just turn left
When you get to the moon
Mumblebury is
The captain of cool
In his UFO ship
Taking children to school
World famous he is
On the planet Mumbo
Though he actually lives
On its moon, Jumbo
With his loyal pet
Who actually speaks
A fish out of water
Known as Gillcheeks
A fish out of water,
How does he survive?
A goldfish bowl on his head
Keeps him alive
Is this story true?
I don’t really know
It could all be just
A load of mumbo jumbo
Last night the earth trembled when an elephant
went grumbling down the plain
its passing sound resembled
the softly insistent rumbling of a distant train
Hearing my tale others blame me
for outlandish rumors and such
Fearing a tall stories tail I flee
an elephants tall but not that much
The Weather-wise declared
a storm is about to blow
other-wise I'd be fair
but I can't be fooled you know
No train nor storm could wordless shout
such a lonely sounding cry
as that great tall heard less elephant
when no others are abounding by.
Wrenched from bushland
To London Zoo, they labelled you
“Jumbo” – fed you by hand.
African Wonder! You were feted,
Reduced to spectacle,
Humorous vehicle,
And otherwise humiliated.
Submissiveness turned to rage;
Branded dangerous;
A threat to all of us! –
And so condemned to Barnum’s cage.
Now your sad name’s applied
To all your related
Who’re captured, subjugated;
Dignity, majesty: all denied.
New York’s mayor wants to ban
The sale of jumbo drinks.
This will cure obesity,
At least that’s what he thinks.
Those who guzzle sweet iced tea
Or soda by the gallons
Never thought they’d have to hide
From Mayor Bloomberg’s talons.
It’s a bit Big Brotherish,
For putting into law
A bill to limit what we drink
Can stick in someone’s craw.
I’m conflicted – though I know
These drinks can make you fat,
Government should not control
Our choice to get like that.
People most affected by
A strong, humongous thirst
Will simply buy two smaller drinks
And Bloomberg will get cursed.
As freedom slowly fades away,
It causes me to think;
And though I’ll use a smaller cup,
I really need a drink!
It’s mumbo jumbo,
the language of confusion.
Nonsensical words
that communicate nothing.
They have no value at all.
A wino looked at me and spout,
Mumbo-jumbo from his mouth!
“Wood and stone;
Flesh and bone,
Sand and clay;
Steel and hay,
Moon and sun;
Milk and bun,
Glass and salt;
Hops and malt,
Needle and thread;
Hand and head,
Rain and fog;
Spawn and frog,
Chicken and egg;
Lock and peg,
Tooth and root;
Sock and boot,
Buckle and belt,
Beaver and pelt,
Ash and soot;
Loud and mute,
Sea and beach;
Apple and peach,
Nut and bolt;
Collar and goat,
Dime and purse;
Favour and curse,
Hard and soft;
Never and oft,
Fun and pun;
Over and begun,
Love and hate;
Pace and rate,
Good and bad;
Happy and sad.”
Down and out;
Kneeling there devout!
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