Poetics and Ruminations

Uncle Wesli's New Mother Goose #26

 

SEASONG

 

The Marinated Mackerel splashed

To aid the mermaid in distress.

 

He bubbled nothings in her gill

Till blushingly she burbled, "Yes!"

 

The Mackerel's now father of

A motley, marinated crew —

 

His mermaid murmurs on a reef,

Abiding cordially for you!

 

All of which would indicate,

True love should never marinate.

 

Originally published in A Huoyhnhnm's Scrapbook and collected in The Collected Lyrics of Lewis Turco / Wesli Court, 1953-2004, www.StarCloudPress.com, 2004. ISBN 1932842004, jacketed cloth, $49.95; ISBN 1932842012, quality paperback, $26.95, 460 pages, © 2004, all rights reserved. ORDER FROM AMAZON.COM. 

 

Uncle Wesli's New Mother Goose #25

A MOLE LIVED ON A MOUNTAIN

A Terzanelle

 

A mole lived on a mountain.

His banjo, it was blue.

He sang of a crystal fountain

 

That welled from beneath a yew.

And it was in the fall of the year

That his banjo, it was blue.

 

As the old mole sang, he shed a tear

For Lily of the Valley.

And it was in the fall of the year

 

That he sang, "O waly, walley,

My love, she lives in a far, far land,

My Lily of the Valley."

 

He sailed for a desert island

With his banjo all of blue.

He sang, "My love's in a far, far land —

 

"Alas! that she never knew

A mole lived on a mountain

Whose love for her was true,

Who sang of her crystal fountain."

 

Originally published in Phantasm, iii:6, issue 18, 1978, and collected in The Collected Lyrics of Lewis Turco / Wesli Court 1953-2004, Scottsdale: Star Cloud Press, ©2004, http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Collected-Lyrics-of-Lewis-Turco-Wesli-Court/Lewis-Turco/e/9781932842012/?itm=6&usri=lewis+Turco, all rights reserved 2010 by the author.

 

New Mother Goose #24

LILY THE LOVELY

 

There once was a lovely Lily

Who acted rather odd.

One day while feeling silly

That lovely water Lily

Grew herself a dilly

Of an old bean pod.

She once was a lovely Lily.

Now she looks rather odd.

 

Originally published in Phantasm, iii:6, issue 18, 1978, and collected in The Collected Lyrics of Lewis Turco / Wesli Court, 1953-2004, www.StarCloudPress.com, 2004. ISBN 1932842004, jacketed cloth, $49.95; ISBN 1932842012, quality paperback, $26.95, 460 pages, © 2004, all rights reserved. ORDER FROM AMAZON.COM. 

 

Uncle Wesli's New Mother Goose #23

THE CAT, THE MAID, AND THE GENTLEMAN

Hevera, devera, dick —

Eight, nine, ten —

That's how they count their sheep,

These Westmorelandmen.

 

A maid and a cat lived in a sty,

         (The Devil you know dwells down below),

A gentleman came and caught la eye.

He stopped and stared and wondered why

The maid and the cat lived in the sty,

         Hevera devera fo la fo.

 

The cat and the maid were eating eggs,

         (The Devil of course dines down below)

And dancing about on barrels and kegs.

The gentleman asked if it hurt fo legs

To be dancing about while eating eggs,

         Hevera devera fo la fo.

 

The maid and the cat were smirched with dirt,

         (The Devil wears ashes down below).

"No," la replied, "it does not hurt

My legs if I keep my prancing curt

And cover myself with lots of dirt,"

         Hevera devera fo la fo.

 

"La, marry me," the gentleman said,

         ("The Devil will marry us down below.")

"I'd be most pleased if we were wed

At midnight, be we quick or dead.

I'll marry thee merrily, sir," la said,

         Hevera devera fo la fo.

 

They were betrothed eight days all told,

         (The Devil was waiting down below),

La and the gentleman so bold.

The deveral sun set dark and cold,

And they were wed as the church bell tolled

         Hevera! devera! fo! la! fo!

 

The cat (not maid) and the gentleman were

         Wed by the Devil down below.

Listen and you may hear fo purr

(Not la, for who could care for her?)

The couple are gay, or at least they were,

         Hevera devera fo la fo.

 

Originally published in Phantasm, iii:6, issue 18, 1978, reprinted in Light Year '85, edited by Robert Wallace, Cleveland: Bits Press, 1984, and collected in The Collected Lyrics of Lewis Turco / Wesli Court, 1953-2004, www.StarCloudPress.com, 2004. ISBN 1932842004, jacketed cloth, $49.95; ISBN 1932842012, quality paperback, $26.95, 460 pages, © 2004, all rights reserved. ORDER FROM AMAZON.COM. 

 

Uncle Wesli's New Mother Goose #22

UNCLE LEW

 

Uncle Lew

Just loved to stew

And you should see the fits he threw.

Now he is old and out of sorts

And likes to tend his patch of worts.

 

Copyright © and all rights reserved 2011 by Wesli Court 

 

Uncle Wesli's New Mother Goose #21

AUNTY JEAN

 

Pretty Aunt Jean

Was very clean

Until she ate a jellybean.

She got it on her yellow dress —

Now Aunty Jean's an awful mess.

 

© 20ll by Lewis Turco; all rights reserved.

 

Uncle Wesli's New Mother Goose #20

UNCLE CURT

 

Uncle Curt,

He got hurt

Playing in the backyard dirt.

We patched him up with webs and clay —

Now Uncle Curt's outdoors all day.

 

 

Uncle Wesli's New Mother Goose #19

UNCLE DAVE

 

Uncle Dave

Was very brave

And always knew how to behave

Until they shot him from the sky

And now who knows where he may lie.

 

New Mother Goose #18

AUNTY ANNE

 

Aunty Anne,

Since time began,

Sat drinking in a frying pan.

She drank and drank until she died —

Now Aunty Anne's completely fried.

 

© 2011, all rights reserved by Wesli Court.

Uncle Wesli's New Mother Goose #17

UNCLE ALAN

 

Uncle Alan

Drank a gallon

Of bile and ate an eagle's talon.

He tied a cord around his throat

And tried to fly but couldn't float.