What, No Rapture?! (eclipse post)

So when all is said and uh … eclipsed … it was kind of a nothingburger this whole eclipse brouhaha, and it happened behind the cover of clouds from where I was at in the Hudson Valley anyway, like the wizard doing funky wizard shit but all behind the curtain and then producing nothing special or magical or even slightly weird except for a slight dimming of the lights (though I swear I felt someone touch my knee … freakin’ pervert wizards, I might have to lodge a complaint with the Wizard Bureau), no unicorns appeared being ridden by sprites, no animals suddenly stood up on their hind legs drinking coffee at the office talking about last night’s game, well, except for Bill, who’s not a sports fan, who went out back for a REALLY quick smoke, no munchkins started singing munchkin songs and dancing in pointy shoes at Dunkin’, no Netflix shows based on weird eclipse stuff had a critically acclaimed first season and then got canceled just as it was gaining an audience, Oh, and no rapture!!

A Facebook friend, Heather, noted this in a post of hers “I have heard zero reports of raptures. A bit disappointed in all of you. Bitches”

That’s a quote by the way and she was absolutely right!

And I was pretty excited for a moment too, I mean I actually started to rapture, or was being raptured, or was rapturing, not quite sure how to use the word, and as I was slowly being lifted up through the clouds (don’t recommend that part, kinda damp and chilly and possibly could have you dodging planes with safety issues) I heard a booming voice from above me.

“Hey, you Frankenberry? The old DJ?”

I said “Yeah … wait, are you the big guy?”

“Well, don’t matter now if I am cause you ain’t comin’”

“What????”

“Every time I called you on the air back in your Pittsburgh days you NEVER played any of my requests, not a one, not “Freebird” not “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” Dylan OR Guns N Roses, not “Unskinny Bop” and especially not “Stairway to Heaven” … ever!”

“Unskinny Bop”, really??”

“See, you’re still judging me!! I heard what you said about me after we hung up back then and even now you’re still thinking, Man, this dude continues to be lame, all those songs suck – though Unskinny Bop just sucks in a completely different silly sucky sorta way”

“Well, Hell I’m sorr….”

“And there, that kicks it, trying to get raptured and you’re referencing Hell … (to self) this fucking guy”

“Is that how you would use it by the way, like a verb, being “raptured”? I just wasn’t quite sure”

“Well, I guess so, I mean that’s how I’ve always thought of it, especially if I decided the time was right, you know, to rapture, look at deserving souls when they arrive, most surely confused and disoriented, and saying to them in an extra big game show truck pull announcer voice with some echo and reverb, first impressions right? HEY EVERYBODY!!! WELCOME!! (echo, reverb, echo, reverb) LOOK UP HERE AND SMILE (echo, reverb, echo, reverb) YOU’VE BEEN RAPTURED!! No, no selfies please, waaaaay too many of us anyway, plus I am sort of mystery, don’t “picture” well. NOW C’MON UP AND CLAIM YOUR NEW CLOUD CAR!!!”

“Oh ok, interesting”

“Hey, enough stalling, I’m letting you go …”

“Wait!!! You did request “Turn the Page” too and I didn’t judge you on that, didn’t think it sucked at all, I like rock n roll road songs, well except Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive”, sheeshhh that one …”

“You know I love Bon Jovi right?”

“(sigh) of course you do. Really letting me no go now aren’t you?”

“Yep”

“See ya”

“Don’t count on it”

Yeah, Heather was right, the whole eclipse thing was pretty disappointing, well except for Rutger Hauer’s “Navarre” and Michelle Pfeiffer’s “Isabeau”, they at least found some magic in this eclipse business and Mathew Broderick’s “Mouse” was redeemed so …

But that rapture possibility?

My, our ass!!

Bitches!!

Original Hymns (poem)

So this one from dVerse poets was a prompt of photos from a John McKaveney and picking one to write a poem on about.

They whistle while they work

Original hymns before hymns were made corrupt

Star builders

Whistled songs that float starry eyed unheard but shouted in cosmos void

known  

To mothers who taught them

Of the building of skies to be seen in the dark

through eyes dim

earth

so many small 

dammed by hymns of fear

But from the scratch of dust and particle cloud

from whence we came you can’t explain how hymns just 

take what isn’t theirs

To be seen in scared scarred curious spaces of

hard and soft bits of bangs

big

built from scratch

New stars to be seen

Though long dead

To wonder and fear

In hymns and homily’s 

to check

to hold 

.

We are star builders and we sing

Original hymns

Oompa Loompa Bob Song: An Oompa Loompa Cautionary Tale Eulogy

So a friend, Drew, recently posted to the Facebook this meme …

… and I thought well, what if the Oompa’s showed up at the funeral of this meme guy, a fella named Bob maybe, whose ‘last mistake’ was actually his LAST mistake.

Now, if anyone was wondering why it’s been so long since I’ve had a girlfriend, probably not, well, this is the kind of thing that I think about and do for fun which goes a long way to explaining said singleness.

I don’t date, don’t go to movies, or dinner, or events, or play pickleball, or go “clubbin'” and whatever that might entail (sounds expensive and I ain’t got the wardrobe for it as I’m sure sweatpants aren’t gettin’ me past the bouncer) I don’t nature hike, I’m not a regular at any monthly game nights with friends, I don’t Church, I certainly don’t go on retreats (“retreat” – it sounds so white flag defeating), I don’t go to family get togethers with anyone new and pretty in tow to make Aunt’s happy (Oh, “finally” they would say in small Aunt klatches quieting any busybody speculation), I don’t gym or bike or jog or even walk briskly, not that some exercise wouldn’t hurt, I don’t do anything in groups though the one’s I am not in might sometimes remark unfairly of such, no, I just do this sort of stuff and other writing things silly and not silly, oh, and I have full blown conversations with cats.

It’s amazing what you can learn about a cat’s daily by the way, if you just take the time to listen. “Really? You meditated in a window in the sun (napped) while contemplating the mysteries of the universe and then woke up and went to the litter box?!”

Yeah, that ‘single’ status ain’t changing anytime soon I don’t think.

Anyway, for the dearly departed Bob, who took one final unintended bus ride to the sky.

Oompa Loompa Bob Song

Oompa, Loompa, doompety-do
I’ve got a little story for you
Oompa, Loompa, doompety-dee
it’s about Bob so please listen to me

What do you get when you’re walking a street
Lost in your cell “hey, that video’s neat”
You don’t pay attention to what’s in your surrounds
Including that curb’s last mistake to be found

I don’t like the look of this

Oompa, Loompa, doompety-don’t
Step off that curb Bob please tell me you won’t
Oompa, Loompa, doompety-please
Lift your head, look around at that bus bearing down


… Ya big dope!

… You really dead dope!

… Oh, Bob

Crazy Cat Lady Guy Cat Tips Guide – Tip #353: Cats Can Sleep On Anything (+ a tips #342-#352 handy catch up)

This is more of an observation than a tip, but cats can indeed sleep on anything and often in the most uncomfortable appearing ways. Cricket, for instance, likes to not watch TV with me while sleeping sort of on my lap and my remote, if I forget to grab it quickly enough, with her head and a third of her body hanging over my right hip facing down where it seems she is in danger of just sliding right the hell off, though that is usually when I am able to retrieve my remote when it hits the floor.

Now to most humans this would appear to be very uncomfortable as they might imagine themselves in such a position with blood rushing to their heads until they pass out (but not before, for a brief instant, possibly glimpsing myriad secrets of the universe with that extra noggin blood rush).

Then, of course, it’s back to the passing out and possibly toppling over that could come with a bruise or two (plus some of that momentary universe’s mysteries solved thing could have been a disappointment anyway and you don’t want that – they remain mysteries for a reason, for the intrigue, the universe’s tease, possibly all just a big bore just with stars and infinite space and maybe an alien or two … yeah, whatever).

My dearly missed Shoes, “The Big Orange”, was famous in our small Steve and cats world, for being a true cat-titioner of taking that cats sleeping uncomfortably and also on anything, more than just simple remotes, to purring heart … and to a new level.

I mean he was like any good cat. A t-shirt tossed on the bed? Sleep on it. A pair of sweats? Sleep on it. My hat? Sleep on it.

A laundry basket full of stinky clothes? Sleep IN it (and always more preferable than the laundry basket full of post laundry clean ones for some reason, freakin’ cat weirdos).

Pre-laundry stinky clothes basket? Sleep in it.

Post-laundry all clean fresh clothes basket? Sniff, ignore, pass and sleep somewhere else.

But then …

Me: Shoes, why are you sleeping on that torn up cat scratcher?

Me: Shoes, why are you sleeping on my clunky winter boots, in the closet?

Me: Shoes, how the hell did you get on top of the fridge? Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you. My bad.

Me: Shoes, really, on the cable box?

Me: (Shoes on the third shelf of the bookcase/knickknacker) Dude! What, you trying to glean some sci-fi through cat nap osmosis?! And how the Hell did you get up there … and without knocking anything over!?!? (cats be nimble)

Me: Ahhhh SHIT!! (after dropping an entire small plastic container of tacks while barefoot) Godammit!! (tiptoeing and looking for the broom)

Shoes: Whoa!! Not so so fast on the clean-up my good (hu) Man, I must sleep on them first.

Me: (finding myself strolling through Hell) Shoes, c’mon, seriously, are you sleeping on damned souls?!

Shoes: They looked like they could use some cat … and I’m sleepy.

Me: Shoes!! They are literally engulfed in damnation’s eternal flames!!

Shoes: And? Your point? It’s warm, cats like warm.

I was reminded of this tonight in, well, a sort of anti-climactic way now I guess, especially after that whole Shoes sleeping on Hell found damned for an eternity souls bit an’ all, but was reminded when I saw Cricket sniffing around my extra pillow on the bed, the one that is there for no reason other than to have this look like a “proper” bed.

I had just tossed my eye glass case on it and Cricket, with an entire other half of the pillow to choose from, decided to sleep on it.

Me: Cricket?

Cricket: Hey! It was here Steve, so I thought “I must sleep on it”.

Well, Shoes would be proud girlfriend.

Ok, since it’s been a little while since I posted a new cat tip (starting back in April of last year) here are the rest of my Crazy Cat Lady Guy’s Cat tip posts to get you up to speed … for now.

There will surely be more additions to this handy guide to come.

You’re welcome.

//////////////////////////////////////////

A Crazy Cat Lady Guy’s Cat Guide – Tips #’s 342-348: A convenient list of tips to give an assist in the world of Cats, not, say, Dogs or Rabbits or Guinea Pigs or wild things found in the woods that become the topic of an ad laden web post “They thought it was a cat but then …” and the restorative effects of meditation on cats

A Crazy Cat Lady Guy’s Cat Tips: Tip #349

Crazy Cat Lady Guy Cat Tips Guide – Tip #350: A Bella Note and A Too Small New Cat Box

Crazy Cat Lady Guy Cat Tips Guide – Tip #351: When it’s International Cat Day You Post Accordingly

Crazy Cat Lady Guy Cat Tips Guide – Tip #352: Extra Computer Chairs?

Wall (poem)

In response to … Sammi Cox’s Weekend Writing Prompt: ‘temperature’

Write a poem of 37 words, not including the title, using the word “temperature” … no other stipulation.

/////////////////////////////////////////

Wall

The devil and an ordinary angel sat

Reclining on

Recalling a wall

Their divide

That bordered a stream running North and South

East and West

The only gauge of which way to go

at

Was the temperature

So Then Sunday: Tricking The Whole – Song

The cable was out last night for a short period so I spent a portion of my evening listening to some old song parodies of mine and impressing myself.

“Really?”

“What?”

“Have you ever heard of humility”

“Hey, it’s a little early for that, temps are still a bit cool ’round here”

“(sigh) You’re an idiot”

“Skills my friend … skills”

Anyway (and deja vu) from back when I was doing almost exclusively Beatles covers in my early parodies and a one that still works, as if it were current, 5 years later and a still stark reminder.

Tricking the Whole

(to The Beatles “Fixing A Hole”)

I’m tricking the whole to new reign of a King

To keep their minds from wondering

What the truth knows

.

I’m filling the gaps marking all that I say

With prop-a-ganda being way

To sell truth now

.

And it’s really heady matter for elites I lie

For a fake press I lie

The haters cry

.

But see my dog base blinding there who loyally lap at my feet

Never finding truth crumbs on the floor

.

I’m painting bona fide in a red white and blue

My fingers make confusing swirls

Till you let go

Oooh Oooh Oooh Ahh Ahh

(succumb you will in time)

Hey Hey Hey … Hey

.

And hey batter batter batter

Swing and miss my man, can’t hit this pitch you can’t

Not this big spin

.

I’m on the mound base is the crowd

They pay no mind they are fact free

See how they’re wowed by my huge back door curve

.

I never take time to study the things that were important yesterday

They don’t matter now

Oooh Oooh Oooh Ahh Ahh

Hey Hey

.

I’m tricking the whole to new reign of a King

It gets my mind to wandering ’bout new royals Ohhhh

Who we could own owwwwnnn

.

I’m tricking the whole to new reign of a King

My mind is always floundering

In a dark hole … in a dark whole

Behind the Red Door (a poem – revisit)

This is from last year at Mother’s Day and a response now to a dVerse poets prompt about writing something of a building.

The link explains the prompt.

//////////////////////////////////////////

May 29, 2023

On my way into work early last week, driving my usual route, a few backroads through some pretty suburbia (one of the reasons I take this way) I noticed this one house, like really noticed it for the first time though I pass it every day. It has a striking red front door, how it hadn’t caught my eye before I couldn’t tell you but, no matter, it did on this morning.

I think it did because recently I went to visit Mom in her assisted living facility for Mother’s Day and something about this red door seemed vaguely familiar, like maybe when I was kid we lived in a house behind a red door or maybe it was a red house?

So, this then is for Mom, who lives behind her red door in a different sort of house now, two of them.

Love ya Ma

Behind The Red Door

It fronts a house

Once center

Village open welcome

But

Floating hazy now outskirts

As doors don’t float but do

Lost in trees tall tangle roots shoots forest grasping edge of the old gathering square

Where voices were there

Their

Songs sung in unison

Once

They did declare!

High up into the air!

It’s a house with a red door

Please knock to tell something

Sell something

Even

Needed in

Village’s

Villager’s stories

All shared

But

Through bay whispy window tissue thin doilied curtains now floating like ghosts gently pushed aside

(mind you move away ghosts!)

To glance out

Please knock to sell me something

Tell me something

Are you the paperboy?

Do you have the news?

Have you heard of Linda?

I worry

It was a house with a red door

Open

Of many room’s 

Thoughts

Lived

Loved

Shared

Grand Castle with Nobles and Ladies

Knees bent

For wisdom’s grace

I have words

Had words

Want words

Can you hear them through whispy bay floating window tissue curtains now?

Through whispier lips?  

Behind the red door

Kind ghosts

But ghosts still

Oh, go away ghosts, shoo!!

Are you the paperboy?

Have you some news?

It’s a house with a red door

Flashing in

Out planes

Existence moving on wheels

Now

Through tangled grasping forest root shoots long hallways

Of village

New sort

To sort through and around in time lost

Trapped

Behind the red door

And …

So many different other colored doors

So many different castles

So many doors

It’s a house with a red door

Closed

No, ajar instead

Instead

Maybe can you see

Me

In

Through

Whispy bay floating window tissue curtains like ghosts?

Oh, go away ghosts, shoo!!

Please!!

Are you the paperboy?

Do you have some news?

Maybe of Linda?

I worry

Cherry Blossom (a girl)

A new dVerse poets prompt of cherry blossoms

She smelled of cherry blossoms in our walks to a point of hanging in her wake

“Hey, what are you doing? Keep up”

“Sorry” I would say but still keeping a half step behind claiming whatever might mind for that halted step and scent carried my way in her draft

I know she only kept me for notice, as I am not a find, most surely not, but a body for Moms and Dads and Sisters and Brothers and Company to present to, temporarily, in overstuffed dining rooms at Spring get togethers until cherry blossoms fade

But, for just a moment, she was a cherry’s flower petals that petaled on me

So Then Sunday: Don’t Go Back To Trumpville (song)

So Then Sunday

From back in early December. To R.E.M.’s “Don’t Go Back To Rockville”

Another tune that says stuff

//////////////////////////////////////////

Don’t Go Back To Trumpville

Looking at old hell a new time

Wonderin’ what we’ve done to be so cursed

In the possibility that

The Orange Devil could usher somethin’ worse

Only this time with an even darker promise

With vengeance in his blackened heart

.

He’ll persecute and prosecute

The order of which won’t matter when he’s done

Retribution will be his rally cry

To punish one and all  

And any who don’t comply

And offer fealty on bended knee

With bowed heads kissed rings even fresh lipstick

.

Don’t go back to Trumpville
Don’t go back to Trumpville
Don’t go back to Trumpville
And waste Democracy

.

At night he drinks himself to sleep

Of despot dreams jack booting in his head

He envies Xi and surely Vlad

Even Benito and now new Nazi Klan

Who find in him their great leader to follow

With violence waiting on a call

.

Don’t go back to Trumpville
Don’t go back to Trumpville
Don’t go back to Trumpville
And waste our future years

.

Some though feel that there’s no need to worry

Head in sand they see no real ur-gency

But anyone who’s not head under ground knows the danger that is found

In another orange presidency

It’s not the way to protect our liberty

And our too weak now Democracy

.

Don’t go back to Trumpville
Don’t go back to Trumpville
Don’t go back to Trumpville
And waste our future years

.

Don’t go back to Trumpville
Don’t go back to Trumpville
Don’t go back to Trumpville
And waste Democracy

Share this:

Air (poem)

Air

I’ve been here before

In February

When it tries change color

Promising gold in a world of tin

As air doesn’t color

I’m always the fool

Air is air

It’s just there

it hovers my eyes in the bleak

but though with a wink

sits on my lips like an imp

waiting

want

halts with simple

colorless hue

and asks only my acknowledgement

until one day

Air

I’ve been here before

When it changes colors to lemon

Something air cannot do

But does defy

That

Air

One beautiful day’s eye

Air

I’ve been here before

And it’s a wonder

As winter dies

//////////////////////////////////////////

Spring spung for a dVersepoets.com prompt