1.
Politician wipes
Child's snot, rival catches cold,
Voters are unsure.
2.
Romeo and Juliet
Died because of love, wise man
Tells loveless couples.
3.
Old hero retires,
Fans cheer, cry, empty wallet,
Sponsor's coffers fill.
---
Long ago
I wrote a love poem.
Three pages that love took!
My one and only!
Thank God!
I recited it at the typist's
To cheers and staccato beat.
Money lasted for two typed pages,
A third of my love remained
Unspoken and tough to read.
I showed it to my best friend.
Man, I feel the passion, he said.
Is it my wife? he asked.
They like to think
Their woman deserves a love poem.
An acquaintance handled it
With too much care.
I want to be her, came the note to me.
Thoughtful I was then
And laughed at such care.
I gave it to friends and foes.
Seriously, the response was the same.
Lightly, they seemed different.
It's never a good idea
To mix friends and foes.
I gave it to my love.
Kind she was then
And filed it under ex.
I wanted her to marry
And live happily. She did.
---
Thought of writing a tale of unrequited love -
That of inconvenient spouses
Between two lovers.
It sounds funny
But who will laugh?
So, let me make it sad
And convenient
And kill them.
The spouses?
Or the lovers?
Hey...
Which is sad?
---
I met a friend after 25 years.
I realized why
I had not met the friend for 25 years.
---
In an old 'Moral Science' note-book (circa 20th century AD):
page 1 -
notice on the board.
Believers, go to temple, snacks will be offered.
Others! Remain in Moral Science class!
page 2 -
top of the page.
Is Moral Science a science?
bottom of the page.
Evading this class is an art.
page 3 -
top of the page.
What does it mean to be human?
middle of the page.
To suffer.
bottom of the page.
To attend this class.
last page but one of the book -
Oh Jack, let's not stop car here
Oh Jack, let's not stop car
Oh Jack, let's not stop
Oh Jack, let's not
Oh Jack, let's
Oh Jack
Oh
---
He was like a twin,
My best friend.
He even looks like you,
Everyone said.
One lazy afternoon,
Bored and restless,
He thought of a prank,
He thought of it, I swear.
He picked up the goddamn phone,
Anonymous and all, he called her.
He teased, abused, laughed and sneered,
A jolly good prank call, he said.
He did not know.
She was like a lover.
The one for me, I used to say.
She did not know either.
That night, she called me at the usual hour.
I picked up the goddamn phone.
She told me about the abusive call.
She knew I knew, I don't know how.
I sneaked on my best friend.
He had to go.
She was like a lover.
The one for me, I used to say.
She was like a lover.
I can talk to you about anything, she said.
I like you a lot, she said.
I remembered that she said, I like my dog a lot.
Decades have gone by.
Goddamn phones and girls with dogs I avoid.
Given another chance, I would still sneak.
Best friends come and go. Love too.
Politician wipes
Child's snot, rival catches cold,
Voters are unsure.
2.
Romeo and Juliet
Died because of love, wise man
Tells loveless couples.
3.
Old hero retires,
Fans cheer, cry, empty wallet,
Sponsor's coffers fill.
---
Long ago
I wrote a love poem.
Three pages that love took!
My one and only!
Thank God!
I recited it at the typist's
To cheers and staccato beat.
Money lasted for two typed pages,
A third of my love remained
Unspoken and tough to read.
I showed it to my best friend.
Man, I feel the passion, he said.
Is it my wife? he asked.
They like to think
Their woman deserves a love poem.
An acquaintance handled it
With too much care.
I want to be her, came the note to me.
Thoughtful I was then
And laughed at such care.
I gave it to friends and foes.
Seriously, the response was the same.
Lightly, they seemed different.
It's never a good idea
To mix friends and foes.
I gave it to my love.
Kind she was then
And filed it under ex.
I wanted her to marry
And live happily. She did.
---
Thought of writing a tale of unrequited love -
That of inconvenient spouses
Between two lovers.
It sounds funny
But who will laugh?
So, let me make it sad
And convenient
And kill them.
The spouses?
Or the lovers?
Hey...
Which is sad?
---
I met a friend after 25 years.
I realized why
I had not met the friend for 25 years.
---
In an old 'Moral Science' note-book (circa 20th century AD):
page 1 -
notice on the board.
Believers, go to temple, snacks will be offered.
Others! Remain in Moral Science class!
page 2 -
top of the page.
Is Moral Science a science?
bottom of the page.
Evading this class is an art.
page 3 -
top of the page.
What does it mean to be human?
middle of the page.
To suffer.
bottom of the page.
To attend this class.
last page but one of the book -
Oh Jack, let's not stop car here
Oh Jack, let's not stop car
Oh Jack, let's not stop
Oh Jack, let's not
Oh Jack, let's
Oh Jack
Oh
---
He was like a twin,
My best friend.
He even looks like you,
Everyone said.
One lazy afternoon,
Bored and restless,
He thought of a prank,
He thought of it, I swear.
He picked up the goddamn phone,
Anonymous and all, he called her.
He teased, abused, laughed and sneered,
A jolly good prank call, he said.
He did not know.
She was like a lover.
The one for me, I used to say.
She did not know either.
That night, she called me at the usual hour.
I picked up the goddamn phone.
She told me about the abusive call.
She knew I knew, I don't know how.
I sneaked on my best friend.
He had to go.
She was like a lover.
The one for me, I used to say.
She was like a lover.
I can talk to you about anything, she said.
I like you a lot, she said.
I remembered that she said, I like my dog a lot.
Decades have gone by.
Goddamn phones and girls with dogs I avoid.
Given another chance, I would still sneak.
Best friends come and go. Love too.
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