Love, Like A Bird

 

Love, Like A Bird

Love, Like A Bird

I found some love in a world of lovelessness

It tumbled at my feet like a bird out of a nest

I picked it up and held it in my hand

It spoke to me but I didn't understand.

So I took it home and put it in my room

With lots of sun and space to help it bloom

I tended it and mended it's broken wing

And after many days, I heard it sing.

Never having heard a song of love

I wondered what this unknown thing was made of

And soon the wondrous marvel,  with my aid

Began to find it's strength there as we played.

It hung about my shoulders happily

And sang and kept it's trusting eyes on me

And through the days and nights with stars above

A world of lovelessness, we fell in love.

And love taught me so much I never knew

How to know the false from what was true

How to tell the flatteries from charms

And captivated me within it's arms.

Each day I woke in joy and rose in bliss

Hungry for love's touch and for it's kiss

Tearing down the walls around my heart

I let my fear and loneliness depart.

Who knows what love is truly or can be

A mountain's height or depth of silver sea 

Unbridled passion or a sweet embrace

Love changes form and often times, it's face.

We lived and loved like people ought to live

Giving love like lovers ought to give

No thought had I that it would ever end

That I would lose my lover and my friend.

I danced with it in joy around the room

So unaware of shadow or of gloom

The windows opened wide on that bright day

And when I wasn't looking, my love just flew away.

©by Voo Shining Stone

June 10, 2020

1:05 a.m.

Dances With Birds

 

DANCES WITH BIRDS

Dances With Birds



Standing in the kitchen this afternoon
Wearing nothing but a white cotton T shirt
That barely covered the imagination
(It's 116 in the shade, dammit!)


I was making a chef salad
And pouring myself a tall glass of lemonade
When, from outside my window
I heard the scream of a bird
So loud and startling I almost said a bad word
What on earth was that? I thought
And finished the slicing and dicing,
Wiped my hands and pulled back the curtain.


The bird stood there on the driveway
It's wings held up in the air
In a kind of ecstasy
It's head raised up to the sky
It's little feet doing an impromptu
Crazy birdfolk dance
Paying no attention to anyone or thing
It screamed again, not a bird sound
(Definitely not a bird sound.)


But then I noticed that all around the critter
Fell big fat liquid drops of rain
Rain! 
Real ThankGodAlmightyLetItRain rain!
Like we haven't seen in weeks
That we've needed here more than gold.


And I realized
That the bird was screaming in joy
Pure unadulterated joy
No one will believe this, I said out loud
But who cares? 
I dropped the curtain,
Took a big long drink of lemonade,
Looked around to see if the neighbors
Were watching......stepped outside....
And joined him in the dance.

Too Hot by Kool and the Gang


©By Voo
Aug 20, 07
4:30
based on a true event

And I Sez, Baby.......

AnAnd I Sez, Baby…………….

So I’m settin’ in ma pickup truck

Tha fancy new ‘un I picked up last Sundy

Off an unattended lot

Eatin’ a hot Mary Calendar’s Turkey Pot Pie

Fresh outta tha microwave

That I done run a long cord from to the carport

Of a house that’s dark

Cause the owners done gone to town fer a bit

And my taste buds are a lovin’ it

And I’m a lookin’ for the salt shaker

Shaped like a crowin’ rooster

When I looks over at my baby

And I sez, Baby, what say we hit tha road

And ease on down to N’awlins

And go dancin’ on Burbon Street

And git our fortunes tole?
I thank I see us a gas can a'settin' over thar
By tha shed. I betcha it's full.

Whatchoo say, Baby?

And Baby, she sez,

(Stretched out somewheres

Between tha seat and tha steering wheel

With her feet out tha window

And her long red hair almost in my pie,

She’s a swattin’ mosquitoes

And wrigglin like a crawdad in a crawdad hole)

And she sez: Now, Rascal.……

We don’t have ta go nowheres like Burbon Street

To do no dancin’

Y’know we gots a whole bottle a’ Jim Beam

Up under tha seat……..

And I kin tell ya right now whut your fortune is

And that is that, you ain’t got no fortune

Cause you done spent it all

On that stupid Mar-ee Call-an-dar Pot Pie

Back yonder at that grocery store!

And she sets up and puts her face out tha winder

And turns her back to me and sighs

And I go on and finish my store bought pie

And takes me a big drank a’ grape Kool-aid

(That we done made in a Ziplock bag)

I wipes my mouth with tha back of my hand,

Throw tha pie carton and tha spork out in tha bushes

And I taps her on tha shoulder and I sez:

Hell, Baby, what you want from me?

Don’t I provide you with a roof and a shelter?

Don’t I steal or kill enough fer us to eat on

When we’s hongry?

Don’t I love you enough fer twelve men?

Don’t I sing you to sleep ever night

And keep tha mosquitoes off ye part of tha time?

Don’t I give you back massages while you drive?

Don’t I take ya places and show ya thangs

And give ya an excitin’ life?

What more do you want from me, woman?

I mean…… Hell Far, Baby!

And she’s quiet-like fer a spell

So I go on and pull tha lectrical cord

Out the outlet and roll it up and put it away

And put tha Kool-aid in tha ice chest

With tha orange popsicles and tha cheese and baloney

(Dadgum, a man gits tired a cheese and baloney all tha time!

Sometimes he wants a good hot dinner

Like Turkey Pot Pie er somethin, for cryin’ out loud!)

I make sure no body’s lookin’ and I hightail it across tha road

And swipe that red gas can which turns out ta be full

And I put it under tha tarp with tha microwave

And tha television and various and sundry other necessities

And gits back in tha truck.

Let’s git on outta here while tha gittin’s good, I sez

And she starts tha truck and we vamoose down that dirt road

Doin’ forty mile a hour till we hit tha county line

And kin breathe a little easier…………

Finally, she slows down and turns ta me and sez:

Look, Rascal, look, lord knows I love ye and everthang

But sakes alive, man, I’m a grown woman and I have needs!

I needs me a nest and a place ta call mine and everthang

I can’t be a livin’ in no ole truck tha rest of my life!

You hear what I’m sayin?

And I nod ma head and look out tha winder

And I sez: Yeah, I hear ya, girl, I hear ya

I just don’t know whut to tell ya right now

Seeing as how I am financially humiliated at tha moment

And ain’t got no fortune as you has already pointed out ta me

Just as clear and plain as tha nose on my face,

But I promise ya, I will find a way ta work thangs out

Just as soon as I kin find a way ta work thangs out!

Meantime, let’s us just head on down ta Louisiana

And see what the Good Lord has in store fer us thar

And I will see whut me and Him can come up with. Alright?

And she sez, Alright and we head on down tha road.

She drives all night while I sleep

And then tha next day I sleep all day while she drives

And between tha two of us

We gits all tha way down into Cajun country

Where we stop and hunt craw fish and squirrel and camp out and barbecue

And have us a dandy high ole time

Dancing to Zydeco music on tha radio

And drankin’ Jim Beam and grape Kool-Aid

(But not together, lordy, no, not together!)

And I look at her a smilin’ in tha sunshine

And gettin’ tipsy on Beam

And I gits me an idea.

Tha next three days I let her sleep

While I drive

(Which I don’t like to do

Cause I ain’t got no driver’s license)

(And no permit, neither)

But I figure nobody does down in tha bayou country

Lord only knows. I don’t know

But I keeps my eyes open and my head clear

And I prays fer guidance…………….

Bright and early on Thursday mornin’

Baby wakes up cause she been real tired

From our big night on tha town

And she stretches and yawns

Like a yeller cat a wakin’ in tha sunlight

And she looks around and she looks around

And rubs her purty eyes and frowns

And she sez: Rascal, where are we?!

And I’m a standin’ there by tha side of tha bed

Just a smilin’ and a grinnin’

Happy as a hound dog with supper up a tree

And I look down at her

And I sez: Welcome home, Baby Bird

I done got you a permanent nest!!

And she’s so excited and happy

And takes off a runnin’ round tha whole house

Lookin’ into thangs and openin’ doors

And a squealin and a hollerin’ to beat all heck

Then she goes to tha kitchen

And looks at tha sink full a dirty dishes

And looks in tha closet full a ball caps and overalls

And sees Pabst Blue Ribbon beer cans

Throwed up all behind tha couch

And a autographed picture of Doug Kershaw

Up on tha wall over tha tv set

And she comes over and stands thar, hands on her hips

Lookin’ at me like she ain’t never seen me before

And she sez: Rascal, whut in tha Sam Hill have you done?!

I got you a home, Baby! I stammer out, all bumfuzzled

My lips a’ quiverin’ like a little ole baby’s

I made all yore dreams come true

Just like you asked me ta do! I done done it!

Me and you’s can settle down now

And have ourselves that big famly yur hankerin’ fer

And we can do all tha thangs you said you wanted ta do

But right now, Baby, we gots to go………

Y’all git on back in tha bed now

And I’ll take care a everthang, you’ll see!

And I tucks her in and tells her ta hush

And I go outside and close tha door

And gits in ma truck that is hitched up to tha trailer house

And I pull us off tha shady creek bank

And out up onto tha highway a headin’ back towards Arkansas.

And that is how

I ended up a deevorced man

Wanted only by the po-lice

With no wife and no future

Just a pickup truck full a microwaves and television sets,

Ten ice chests full of Mary Calendar’s pies,
A hound dog I picked up somewheres ta keep me compny
And a fairly nice trailer house full a somebody 
Else's stuff

That I had hitched up to tha back of tha pickup

Down in Louisiana, just this side of N’awlins
'Bout six month ago in tha middle of tha night

Right after I had took my baby to Burbon Street
And let her git her fortune tole…….

Ain’t no need fer me ta tell you fellers

That that thar fortune from that ole fortune teller

With her shiny gold tooth and her big empty hand

Was not no where in my favor

No sir.

Dadgummit!!

Hell Far and Damnation!!!!

©by Voo

Dec 9, 2012

8:06 p.m.

The Joy Of Tomato

THE JOY OF TOMATO 

Juice dripping down my browned arms,
I bit into the vine ripened Jersey tomato like a satyr

I couldn't wait to get it into the kitchen,
I couldn't wait to wash the dirt away

I wanted it right then! Right there!
In the garden, in the noon time sun

And I indulged my desire and gave in to red lust,
And when I had finished, I looked around

To see the neighbors, the mail man, the bill collectors,
Standing there staring at me in wonder

And I blushed and hung my head in shame,
Until they started applauding.

                                      
 ©By Voo  2007

It Feels Like Rain, Baby

It Feels Like Rain

by Aaron Neville

Audio only

Nigt Train To The Stars At The All Night Cafe

 

click on Loop on the vid to keep soundtrack playing

Night Train To The Stars

At The All Night Cafe

It was raining........

(It always is in these kind of tales)

The night was dark and chilly

With a bitter wind howling

In between the raindrops

I was trying to finish my shift

And slip out of the cafe

Before the club crowd overtook us

As soon as the music died.

There was an old man

Sitting in the back booth mumbling

As he always did on Saturday nights

Drinking a cup of coffee

(Literally, one cup of coffee)

Nursing it for hours

Until it was as cold as ice

Making that buck twenty-five

Last till my boss gave him the evil eye.

My apron was a lovely shade 

Of ham and eggs

Twelve kinds of beverages

Two globs of catsup

Nine colors of what-the-hell

(I'm sure Hollywood

Would have been impressed)

The trucker in the corner was

He kept trying to catch my eye

And I kept going blind

And refilling his iced tea

While keeping my distance

From his hard driving hands.

Ah, there came the club kids

Nose rings, black eyeliner

Purple hair, half a skirt

Smelling like vodka

And dancing to music

That evidently played in the back

Of their minds

And that was just the boys

The girls were so ugly

They were beautiful

And so young

They made me feel ancient.

Somebody started the jukebox

If I hear "West End Girls" one more time

I'm gonna scream!

And I used to love that song

Two hundred thousand plays ago

Someone should change the songs

In that thing

Oh, great! There goes "The Sultans of Swing"

Again.....

The truck driver's favorite song

Along with "Money For Nothing."

Not what I work for, that's for sure

I work for nothing.

"You look tired, dear."

An older lady commented softly

And patted my hand as I made my rounds

"Yes, ma'am," I nodded and pushed back

A tendril of hair falling from behind my ear

"You have no idea."

She handed me a bill and smiled

"That's for you, sweetie."

I shoved it into my greasy pocket

And it wasn't until later

That I saw, to my shock

That it was a hundred dollar bill.

"Rainy Night in Georgia" was playing now

And loneliness overtook me

As it always did when I heard that song

On a Saturday night when it was raining

And I was working for nothing

In this crowded little cafe

In downtown Nowhere City

I should be on a stage somewhere, I thought

Or on t.v...... in a movie.......

At the very least, in a commercial

For Purina Dog Chow or T.G.I.Fridays

When would I ever catch a break?

"I'm gonna catch a night train to the stars."

The old man with the coffee

Suddenly announced and got to his feet

"I hear ya, mister." I said tiredly

"You catch one for me."

And he looked at me strangely

As I began to mop the table

And take away his cup still half full

Of black caffeine

"No, really, I'm gonna do it." he insisted

"Tonight's the night. Taking that night train

Right up to the stars. You'll see."

And he pulled his tattered coat on

And went out the door in a blast of rain and wind

While I deposited his dollar twenty five

Inside the register.

A sad looking black guy, a regular 

Put some change in the jukebox

And "I Can't Make You Love Me"

By the heartbreaking Bonnie Raitt starts up

"Oh, great!" I say out loud

"Now I'll have to kill myself!"

And all the customers look at me

And the boss looks at me and the black guy

Looks at me and shrugs and flashes

A million kilowatt smile

"Well, girl," he says, "If you would just

Give me the time of day

I wouldn't have to play that song no more."

And he kinda laughs and everybody laughs

But I notice that his smile fades before

They stop laughing.

"Phone call for you." the boss tells me

And tries to hand me the phone

But I say, "Tell them I'm not here

I have never been here, I ain't never

Gonna be here and you have no idea

Where I am or even if I exist."

He makes an exasperated sound

And turns his back, talking into the phone

Above the noise of a motorcycle gang

Making their grand entrance

Into our glorious establishment.

"It's your lover." the boss says 

With his hand over the phone

And a wicked gleam in his eye

And the club kids with their Patty Melts

And the motorcycle guys with their chains

All kind of snicker and watch to see

What I will do

"He's my stalker!" I retort

"I have nothing to say to him!"

And I run to the back and leave

The whole cafe waiting there

With baited breath for the next episode

Of my pathetic little waitress life.

I take off the filthy apron

And the faded peach uniform

In the tiny restroom hardly big enough

For a toddler

Pull on my jeans and tight white Tee,

Put on some pink lipstick, run a brush

Through my unruly curls

And thrust my weary feet 

Into some stiletto heels

That I know are gonna be the death of me

But at that moment, I didn't care.

"Where do you think you're going!?"

The boss screams like he's my daddy

When he sees me rounding the counter

Clutching my jacket and my fake leather purse

Making a bee line for the glass door

And the freedom of the dark, city streets

"I've been working for 10 hours, man." I say

"I've got to get out of here."

"You can't leave me like this!" he bellows

And every customer in the place, to a man

Bellows, "Yeah, you can't leave us like this!"

And they all erupt in raucous laughter.

A police car flies past the door, lights flashing

Sirens piercing my eardrums as a roll of thunder

Crashes over my head

I step outside into the rain and wind

Holding my jacket over my head and wishing

I had a decent coat

To my right I see the police car come to a stop

Out by the train tracks

I hear the wail of an ambulance 

Slamming it's way through volumes of traffic

And I briefly wonder what's going on

But my mind is only full of myself.

"Baby, it's cold out side." 

I hear a familiar voice singsong into my ear

And an arm goes round my waist and turns

Me away from the lights and trouble

And I am pressed up against the cafe wall

And kissed by a man who probably

Should be on his way to prison

"You've got to stop doing this." I warn

And let him fold me into his warmth

And hunger and loneliness and love

"I can't." he breathes, his dark eyes flashing

In the neon

"I can't live without you. I want you to come home."

"Maybe someday." I say and try to pull away

But not really wanting to

"I've got these big dreams, you know

I want to be somebody, do something great

Before I get old and die. I can't do that

In no god-forsaken small ass country town."

"Yes, you can." he insists and pulls me closer

"I'll help you. We'll get married and I'll buy you

The moon and the stars. I'll get rich. I'll take you

To Hollywood in a big limousine and everybody

Will see that my girl is the most beautiful girl in the world."

But I know that will never happen

Johnny's just a country boy running his daddy's farm

Nobody ever got rich farming

My folks don't have two dimes to rub together

My sister works at the Dairy Queen

My brother at the Save-A-Lot

None of their dreams will ever come true

I can't go back there

Not even for this tall, hard-bodied man with dark eyes

That I love with almost all my heart.

"Please." he whispers and I shake my head

And turn back to the scene of the ongoing tragedy,

Rain hitting me in the face now as I drop my jacket

And watch them loading an old man onto a gurney

His face covered with a white sheet

"The Coffee Man!" I exclaim and feel a lump 

Start to form in my throat

"Dude, did you see that!?" a teenager shouts

Across the street to another

"That old guy just walked right into an oncoming train!"

"Oh, my God! Oh, my God!" I cry and bury my face

In my lover/stalker's muscled chest

"Come on, baby, let me buy you a cup of coffee."

And I let him lead me back inside, sit me down

At the Coffee Man's table and hold me tenderly

As I cry, not just for the tragedy, but for him

And for me and for all my dreams and mislaid plans

My tired feet and my restless mind

"He really did take the night train to the stars."

I say finally, pulling myself away against the window

"And maybe those are the only stars he'll ever see."

I could hear the sirens fading into the distance

As the thunder roared and the sky poured down

It's icy, silver tears almost as cold as my heart

The room was still full of customers, young and old,

Black and white, low and high

You could barely hear the tinkle of ice in sweaty glasses

No one laughed, no one coughed, no one got up and left

Someone had pulled the jukebox cord out of the wall

Either that or the thing 

Had finally given up it's outdated ghost and died

The words of Bonnie Raitt's sad song

Bounced off the walls and crashed to the floor

Like tiny shards of defeated prayer

There was nothing to say

And for the first time in ten hours.......

The world was strangely silent.

©by Voo

August 30, 07

midnight 

I Can't Make You Love Me by Bonnie Raitt