Tuesday Poem: "Long Distance Love" by Little Feat

 

In my humble opinion, one of the great songs in the Canon of Unrequited Love Rock'n'Roll songs.

I hope that you are weathering Aotearoa's National Lockdown - the Sequel well.

Tuesday Poem: "Honesty" by Kate Buckley

There’s an honesty to planting,
in saying to seeds,
here’s what I want from you:
grow.

Grow until your heads touch
the tallest slat on the tumbledown wall
and then bud. Break open your heads
and flower, and when that’s done,
fruit.
  
In return, I will give you
meal, minerals, the dung of cloven
animals. I will take measure
of your soil and add what you need,
take what I
should.

In January, I will hang you
with leftover fir,
grind trees
to place at your
feet.

I’ll pluck snails from your leaves,
sluggish brown bodies loathe
to part from your
succulence.

I will water you in a slow warm
stream, the garden hose wrapped
at my feet, a gently coiled cobra
who will not
strike.

I will break back
your dead wood.
I will feed you in spring.
I will take only what I need,
and then I will say to you:
sleep.

 

by Kate Buckley

For more information about poet, Kate Buckley, see:

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/kate-buckley

Tuesday Poem: "Walk on the Wild Side" by Lou Reed

 

Holly came from Miami, F.L.A.
Hitch-hiked her way across the U.S.A.
Plucked her eyebrows on the way
Shaved her legs and then he was a she

 

She says, "Hey, babe
Take a walk on the wild side"
Said, "Hey, honey
Take a walk on the wild side"

 

Candy came from out on the Island
In the back room she was everybody's darling
But she never lost her head
Even when she was giving head

 

She says, "Hey, babe
Take a walk on the wild side"
Said, "Hey, babe
Take a walk on the wild side"

 

And the colored girls go
"Doo do doo do doo do do doo..."

 

Little Joe never once gave it away
Everybody had to pay and pay
A hustle here and a hustle there
New York City's the place

 

Where they said, "Hey, babe
Take a walk on the wild side"
I said, "Hey, Joe
Take a walk on the wild side"

 

Sugar Plum Fairy came and hit the streets
Looking for soul food and a place to eat
Went to the Apollo
You should've seen them go, go, go

 

They said, "Hey, sugar
Take a walk on the wild side"
I said, "Hey, babe
Take a walk on the wild side", alright
Huh

 

Jackie is just speeding away
Thought she was James Dean for a day
Then I guess she had to crash
Valium would have helped that bash

 

She said, "Hey, babe
Take a walk on the wild side"
I said, "Hey, honey
Take a walk on the wild side"

 

And the colored girls say
"Doo do doo do doo do do doo..."

 

by Lou Reed

Tuesday Poem: "Come Down In Time" by Elton John and Bernie Taupin

 

In the quiet silent seconds I turned off the light switch
And I came down to meet you in the half light the moon left
While a cluster of night jars sang some songs out of tune
A mantle of bright light shone down from a room

 

Come down in time I still hear her say
So clear in my ear like it was today
Come down in time was the message she gave
Come down in time and I'll meet you half way

 

Well I don't know if I should have heard her as yet
But a true love like hers is a hard love to get
And I've walked most all the way and I ain't heard her call
And I'm getting to thinking if she's coming at all

 

Come down in time I still hear her say
So clear in my ear like it was today
Come down in time was the message she gave
Come down in time and I'll meet you half way

 

There are women and women, and some hold you tight
While some leave you counting the stars in the night

by Elton John and Bernie Taupin

Tuesday Poem: Not Dark Yet" by Bob Dylan

 

Shadows are fallin' and I've been here all day
It's too hot to sleep and time is runnin' away
Feel like my soul has turned into steel
I've still got the scars that the sun didn't heal
There's not even room enough to be anywhere
It's not dark yet but it's gettin' there

Well, my sense of humanity has gone down the drain
Behind every beautiful thing there's been some kind of pain
She wrote me a letter and she wrote it so kind
She put down in writin' what was in her mind
I just don't see why I should even care
It's not dark yet but it's gettin' there

Well, I've been to London and I been to gay Paris
I've followed the river and I got to the sea
I've been down on the bottom of the world full of lies
I ain't lookin' for nothin' in anyone's eyes
Sometimes my burden is more than I can bear
It's not dark yet but it's gettin' there

I was born here and I'll die here against my will
I know it looks like I'm movin' but I'm standin' still
Every nerve in my body is so naked and numb
I can't even remember what it was I came here to get away from
Don't even hear the murmur of a prayer
It's not dark yet but it's gettin' there

by Bob Dylan

Tuesday Poem: "Common People" by Pulp

 

She came from Greece she had a thirst for knowledge

She studied sculpture at Saint Martin's College

That's where I

Caught her eye

She told me that her Dad was loaded

I said "In that case I'll have a rum and Coca Cola"

She said "Fine"

And then in thirty seconds time she said

 

I wanna live like common people

I wanna do whatever common people do

Wanna sleep with common people

I wanna sleep with common people

Like you

What else could I do

I said "I'll, I'll see what I can do"

 

I took her to a supermarket

I don't know why

But I had to start it somewhere

So it started there

I said, "Pretend you've got no money"

She just laughed and said

"Oh you're so funny"

I said "Yeah?

Well I can't see anyone else smiling in here?

Are you sure"

 

You wanna live like common people

You wanna see whatever common people see

Wanna sleep with common people

You wanna sleep with common people

Like me

But she didn't understand

She just smiled and held my hand

 

Rent a flat above a shop

Cut your hair and get a job

Smoke some fags and play some pool

Pretend you never went to school

But still you'll never get it right

'Cause when you're laid in bed at night

Watching roaches climb the wall

If you called your Dad he could stop it all, yeah

 

You'll never live like common people

You'll never do whatever common people do

Never fail like common people

You'll never watch your life slide out of view

And then dance and drink and screw

Because there's nothing else to do

 

Sing along with the common people

Sing along and it might just get you through

Laugh along with the common people

Laugh along even though they're laughing at you

And the stupid things that you do

Because you think that poor is cool

 

Like a dog lying in a corner

They will bite you and never warn you

Look out, they'll tear your insides out

'Cause everybody hates a tourist

Especially one who thinks it's all such a laugh

Yeah and the chip stains and grease

Will come out in the bath

 

You will never understand

How it feels to live your life

With no meaning or control

And with nowhere left to go

You are amazed that they exist

And they burn so bright

Whilst you can only wonder why

Rent a flat above a shop

Cut your hair and get a job

Smoke some fags and play some pool

Pretend you never went to school

But still you'll never get it right

'Cause when you're laid in bed at night

Watching roaches climb the wall

If you called your Dad he could stop it all, yeah

 

Never live like common people

Never do what common people do

Never fail like common people

Never watch your life slide out of view

And then dance and drink and screw

Because there's nothing else to do

 

Wanna live with common people like you

Wanna live with common people like you

Wanna live with common people like you

Wanna live with common people like you

Wanna live with common people like you

Wanna live with common people like you

Wanna live with common people like you

 

Oh yeah

Written by Pulp

Tuesday Poem: "White Punks on Dope" by The Tubes

Teenage, had a race for the night time
Spent my cash on every high I could find
Wasted time in every school in L.A
Gettin' loose, I didn't care what the kids say

We're white punks on dope
Mom and Dad live in Hollywood
Hang myself when I get enough rope
Can't clean up, though I know I should

White punks on dope, white punks on dope
White punks on dope, white punks on dope

Other dudes are living in the ghetto

But born in Pacific Heights
Don't seem much betto

We're white punks on dope
Mom and Dad live in Hollywood
Hang myself when I get enough rope
I can't clean up, though I know I should

White punks on dope, white punks on dope
White punks on dope, white punks on dope

 

I go crazy cause my folks are so fuckin’ rich

Have to score when I get that rich white punk itch

Sounds real classy, living in a chateau

So lonely, all the other kids will never know

We're white punks on dope
Mom and Dad live in Hollywood
Hang myself when I get enough rope
I can't clean up, though I know I should

White punks on dope, white punks on dope
White punks on dope, white punks on dope
White punks on dope, white punks on dope

by Roger Steen, Michael Evans and Bill Spooner