Don’t care whom it ravages:
this land was always Thine.
Circle wagons, shoot all savages,
and things are (once more) fine.
The Swaggarts, Bakkers and Miscaviges
will soon be judenrein.
For far too long we’ve been contrite.
The best of cleaners scours.
We’re gonna give them fight or flight
(for far too long, they’ve gotten flowers).
There’s nothing wrong with being white:
or claiming what is ours.
Remember when Strom Thurman ruled?
A time when men were men.
For decades we’ve been wrongly schooled:
the sword subdues the pen.
Though King and Evers had us fooled,
we don’t get fooled again.
America was always mean,
until we lost our way.
The atom bomb, the mud marine –
Pacific equals prey.
You’re eighteen? With an A-15
you’ll always get your way.
We don’t need Confucian.
We’ve got Roger Stone.
Disregard the Constitution –
we’ll do this on our own.
Clear Catullus? Lucid Lucian?
Our wisdom is home-grown.
We bow, but only to our owners:
faceless, taxless, they:
they’re so rich, they give us boners:
they never leave LA:
we worship them. They’re known as donors:
we gave the store away.
Categories:
thurman, satire,
Form: Rhyme
Alley, a narrow road or street
Passage for different souls
Some are distinguished and others are nobody
You have been made for many years, historical
Children are playing and running along your path
And as time goes by, they grew into adult
Memories they left in you still haunting them
They laugh and they cry for those memories
Thousands of people walking through you
Back and forth for twenty four hours daily
You are sleepless and tireless, immortal
They made you for their access and comfort
Shortcut for the long and winding road
Years have passed and they are now already dead
But you are still there, serving their grandchildren
They are chasing for their dreams with your help
We thank you for this, a simple but worthy invention of man, the Alley
Categories:
thurman, 4th grade, chanukah, child
Form: Free verse
Thankless job, I think watching
as Thurman tries to teach the young man
The lad sitting up
on the tractor
like a proud young pup
is full of piss and vinegar
half the time not listening
and half the time telling Thurman
how much he already knows...
As Thurman patiently slumps
his still-sturdy but ungainly frame
against the tractor
fingers strumming his red suspenders
a good-natured grin
slowly spreading
across his grizzled face
gleaming behind think glasses
I see a glint of soft amusement
at this grandiose greenhorn
Thurman has lived through
the Great Depression, and then
the horror of hand-combat
in World War II
one of three from his unit
to make it through-
so there is nothing this little ingrate
can possibly do or say
to break Thurman's composure today
he remains uncommonly calm
and utterly unflappable
a small chuckle slipping out
every now and then
And while the young man boasts
and blusters on about
his plans for next week
Thurman is mostly quiet, until
at length, asked about his plans
“Lord willing-
and the creek don't rise...”
he begins, knowing how
much could change by then
Categories:
thurman, age, humanity, life, wisdom,
Form: Free verse
I stared at all the jerseys
Worn by Yogi, Mickey, Lou,
The Babe and Derek Jeter,
Thurman Munson, Roger, too…
And I realized all these Yankees,
Those alive and those who’ve died,
Wore those uniforms, no matter when,
With dignity and pride.
For so many baseball players,
Playing ball was all they knew.
They were lucky that success rewarded
What they loved to do.
At the stadium, we cheered them
For each time they got on base,
With an inkling of whose jersey
Will join others in that case.
Categories:
thurman, baseball,
Form: Rhyme
Fred Astaire was king of tap
Biggie Smalls was huge in rap
Carson (Johnny)ruled TV
Dylan’s songs are poetry
Elvis made the girls all swoon
Frank Sinatra loved to croon
Greta Garbo hid from sight
Hitchcock gave us all a fright
Isaac Hayes’ voice dips low
Johnny Depp steals every show
Kenny G can blow that sax
Larry David can’t relax
Michael Jackson changed his face
Norah Jones embodies grace
Oscar Wilde wrote books and plays
Peter Falk had piercing gaze
Quincy Jones finds music stars
Raitt (That's Bonnie) rocks guitars
Sally Field lights up the screen
Tony Kushner nails each scene
Uma Thurman makes men drool
Viggo’s talented and cool
William Shatner’s still around
Xin Xin Xiong in films is found
Yoko Ono married John
Zach Braff’s big on Amazon
All this talent, A to Z
Keeps us entertained, agree?
for Cyndi MacMillan's ABC Couplet contest
Categories:
thurman, art, people,
Form: Couplet
Barney vs. Godzilla
The Snuggles fabric softener bear vs. a Gremlin
The California Raisins vs. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Care Bears vs. The Decepticons
Casper the Friendly Ghost vs. Slimer
The Pillsbury Doughboy vs. The Stay Puft Marshmallow man
Jeffrey Dahmer (when he was still alive) vs. Pac-Man (when he was still relevant)
Zach Galifianakis vs. Yosemite Sam
Arnold Schwarzenegger (2012) vs. Arnold Schwarzenegger (1969)
Kate Middleton vs. Uma Thurman with a samurai sword
Justin Bieber vs. a bowl of mash potatoes
Categories:
thurman, life,
Form: Free verse
He starred in North and South as a character who was mean.
The person who I'm talking about was David Carradine.
People loved to see this actor star as Shane.
I pity his family because they're in a lot of pain.
He starred with Uma Thurman in Kill Bill.
When it came to acting, this man had skill.
His fans have been mourning since the day he died.
I wish that David Carradine hadn't committed suicide.
(DEDICATED TO DAVID CARRADINE WHO COMMITTED SUICIDE ON JUNE 3, 2009.)
Categories:
thurman, sad
Form: Rhyme