A Dialogue: What is True?

Tell me something you know is true!

I know that the sky is blue!

The sky is only gas
if you see blue
its only through
the prism of your eye

Then the truth must be that
the sky is blue
when viewed through ones eye

You're closer now to what is true
but everyone's eyes are unique
while you're eye sees a shade of blue
my eye may see a different hue

Then what I see is not truly blue?

Oh no, it is truly blue
your own unique shade of blue
and the hue I see when I see the sky
may be different than you
but no less true

Tell me please,
I don't understand,
how can both be true?

Because truth itself is quite as unique
as the prism of your eye
What one believes to be true
is true
unless proven a lie

Now go, dear boy, and diligently apply
this lesson everywhere
You'll find "the truth" promoted
by every peasant and every king.
You'll hear "the truth" in every land
and if you're quite astute
you'll also find that very few
of these "truths" are absolute.

Angst

Some sit
Some pace
The atmosphere is tense
Many hearts race in fear
of complications --
unexpected outcomes

These captives of circumstance
each have a story to share
Some do share and some
feign interest but most
don't pretend to care

Time passes
with the stealth and grace
of an elephant,
Television and magazines,
provided for distraction,
prove irrelevant

Then a noise at the door
draws every eye
prickles every nerve ending
Sweaty palms grasp sodden armrests
Every ear is now bending

A young man strides
through the door,
his clipboard at the ready
he clearly has the floor:

"Who," he asks,

"has the red 2004 Ford?"

Spending an Extra Life

If, by some strange circumstance,
I was rescued from eternal rest,
and given then a second chance,
here are some options I may test:

A daredevil's life from morning to night
I'll cross huge canyons on a wire
then, riding a motorbike, take flight
and jump right through a hoop of fire

The law is also an arousing thought
I'll get criminals off the street
as prosecutor that can't be bought
or better still, a cop on the beat

Or possibly something more sedate
something helpful and humane
delivering babies when they're late
or saving victims and killing pain

But no, I kid myself and you,
my life has had so little strain
I doubt if I'd opt for something new
Just "de jevu all over again"*


* Other priceless quotes from Yogi Berra
may be found HERE

The Dead

And now for something completely different
and, in its own way, beautiful:
Animated Poetry by Billy Collins



Liner notes:

Posted on YouTube by JWTNY

Billy Collins is a former US Poet Laureat he reads his poem to the animation of Juan Delcan.

Dancin' Boy

(Inspired by the movie Billy Elliot)

Billy Elliot is publicized as a 'coming of age' film,
and it is that; but that aspect of the movie is overshadowed
by the story of a man of indomitable spirit. A man who stood
up, against the backdrop of, and in defiance of the prejudices
bred in a sooty, pitiless, economically challenged English coal
mining town where expectations went no higher than the
top level of a mine shaft. That man, the hero of this
story, is Jackie Elliot, Billy's father. But the story, of
course, begins with and ends with the "Dancin' Boy",
Billy Elliot.

===================================
"Hey, boxin' boy!"
fate called from across the hall
"you don't want to be in that ring,
look over here and let music and dance
ring your bell -- just take a chance."


The music set him afire
made dance pop out of every pore
but fickle fate was not quite done
it had far more in store.

In his father's world of coal dust and dark
the measure of a man was hung
on the sweat on his chest
the sweat on his brow
and, of course, the soot in his lungs

No thought of ballet for the sons of these men,
those sons were football bound
until, that is, they reached the age
to reach the underground

Billy knew that he too was bound
for that soot filled underground
it was written in family tradition
as their fated but unjust perdition

If heroes are born from ashes and soot,
Jackie Elliot was clearly one
'to hell with this town's tradition'
he said 'my boy has talent, he has ambition
I'll sell my soul to see this done'

And done it was! And done it was!
at the cost of his status and pride
He sold what he could and bartered the rest
so he and Billy could take that ride

That ride to London, to the Royal Ballet
where his future as a dancer was at play
and where, it turned out, his talent helped
but words and feelings won the day


* 'Dancin' boy' is a name given to Billy Elliot
(and used only once in the script) by his
one close friend, Michael. The sobriquet was
delivered so casually and seemed so appropriate,
it stuck in my head and became my title.

(c)HarveyG 2007

The stage musical production of Billy Elliot, a long-time
smash hit on the London stage, is coming to Broadway in 2008;
auditions this month! Read about it HERE!

An Angry Lady Named May

(A limerick that got out of control)


There once was a lady named May
who was jilted on her wedding day.
She became enraged
at being upstaged
and for 30 years stayed that way.

We need to applaud her narcissism,
her sheer will when facing this schism.
To embrace an emotion
with such devotion
must clearly be a form of heroism.

Now compare, if you will, my tenacity
with this heroines outrageous audacity
I stay mad for one day,
then my anger will stray,
after two I’ve reached my capacity

Is this some type of affliction?
Does it show a lack of conviction?
Or . . . is my ego’s so immense
that anger makes no sense;
and becomes a pointless contradiction?

Ah yes, that must be the fact,
it was ego that poor May lacked.
With her poor self-esteem
she vented her spleen
for three decades till she finally cracked

Poison Elmo

Fisher Price and their 'daddy' Mattel
are feeling the rage of their clientèle

Big Bird and Elmo have been ripped
from thousands of small grips
just two months since they left their ships

Shame on them all
Fisher Price, Mattel
and their Chinese cartel


Read the story HERE