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[fajrdrako]

Putting poetry on my site. Guys, don't tempt me. I could do it for days. Poetry is one of my things.

My pick is a poem I was thinking about the other day as the story of my life. It's from Don Marquis' "Archy and Mehitabel" series, poems about a poetry-writing cockroach named Archy.

You will have to forgive me, and I hope the ghost of Don Marquis will - I don't have a printed copy of this poem and I have to reproduce it from memory. There are probably errors.

~ ~ ~

archy's autobiography

if all the poems what i have wrote
were piled together in a kettle
'twould make a meal for every goat
from here to popocatapetl
Mexico

and all the money what i saved
from all those poems at which i slaved
is not enough to get me shaved
every morning

and all the damns with which i care
piled together in the air
wouldn't reach much of anywhere
they wouldn't

because i don't shave every day
and I write for art's sake anyway
and i don't like to take my pay
i loathe it

and all of you who credit that
could sit down on an opera hat
and never squash the darn thing flat
you skeptics

~ ~ ~

Comments

[rosiespark.livejournal.com]

I'd never heard of Archy and Mehitabel, so thanks for introducing me to something new. :-)

I've just read the coming of archy (http://www.donmarquis.com/readingroom/archybooks/coming.html) and have bookmarked the site so I can go back when I have more time.
It's making me laugh that he's called Archy. *g* Watching Hornblower again, I've found myself increasingly fascinated with Archie Kennedy and haven't had the heart to go on watching beyond Retribution this time round . I keep meaning to email you - I have more comments on Eye of the Wind and I also want to let you have a list of films/cd's that I can copy for you. I haven't forgotten, it's just that life has recently got very complicated - I lost my internet access both at home and at work last week, and this week has been swallowed by a four day conference that we're organising at work. And if I don't take myself off to bed RIGHT NOW, I'll be operating in zombie mode all day tomorrow and that just won't do!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

so thanks for introducing me to something new. :-)

You're welcome! We studied one of the "Archy and Mehitabel" poems in high school, and I was charmed, and went off and read others. But I'm really not sure what book "archy's autobiography" is in or how I came across it. It isn't in the only Don Marquis book I own.

Watching Hornblower again, I've found myself increasingly fascinated with Archie Kennedy and haven't had the heart to go on watching beyond Retribution this time round

Understandable!

I have more comments on Eye of the Wind

How wonderful.


life has recently got very complicated

Oh dear - I hope it gets sorted out soon.


I lost my internet access both at home and at work last week

That's terrible!

if I don't take myself off to bed RIGHT NOW, I'll be operating in zombie mode all day tomorrow and that just won't do!

You sound like me. Story of my life!