Category Archives: Songs

“Set to Music” Naughty Little Pleasures

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My talented friend Christine Anfossie just surprised me with a musical rendition of my poem “Naughty Little Pleasures,” a poem I wrote for day 1 of NaPoWriMo 2018. If  you’d like to hear it, click on the arrow below:

https://grieflessons.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/naughty-pleasures-new-2.wav

If you like to read along, here is the poem again:

Naughty LIttle Pleasures

Naughty little pleasures, secret little games—
they are our private treasures, these solitary shames.
We never can admit them to family or friends,
for fear that doing so would  bring about their ends.
Childhood is when our private pleasure starts—
not stifling our sneezes or holding back our farts.
Eating the last cupcake or hiding Grandpa’s teeth.
Watching skirts on windy days to see what’s underneath.
Torturing sister’s Barbie Dolls and kidnapping her bears.
Reading Daddy’s magazines underneath the stairs.
Guzzling ice cream from the carton and milk right from the spout.
Opening sister’s love letters to see what they’re about.
Telling mom you’ll help her because she’s running late,
then licking all the cookies you’re putting on the plate.
If being perfect were more fun, then probably we would,
but there’s little pleasure in always being good.

NaPoWriMo

Hey Jude

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Hey Jude

Hey Jude is the song that always conjures up memories for me.  I was with my first college boyfriend when I first heard it and he sang it to me then and it became “our” song. ( Newcomers might not know my name is Judy, which I’ve always hated, but I loved being called Jude!) My husband called me that as well.  It is ironic that the only other time I had a “song” with a boyfriend was my first boyfriend ever. Every time the song “Mrs. Brown You Have a Lovely Daughter” came on the radio, he would sing it to me but change the words to “Mrs. Dykstra has a lovely daughter.”  It is ironic because when I married, I became a Mrs. Brown!!!

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Always Something There to Remind Me.”A song comes on the radio and instantly, you’re transported to a different time and place. Which song(s) bring back memories for you and why? Be sure to mention the song, and describe the memory it evokes.

“I” Tunes (My week in song)

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“I” Tunes

Tuesday: I met old friends Jim and Ellen (who moved away a year ago) at Adelita’s for ribs and a year’s worth of talk.

Wednesday: I finally met up with the Mac computer repair guy who comes from Guadalajara to pick up sick Macs for repair.  I have my fingers crossed  that they’ll be able to save the Mac Air I spilled a full Coke on.  Later, I made it to my “Not Yet Dead Poets” meeting.

Thursday: It was a “gas” when my stove broke and I couldn’t get the pilot light clicker to go off.  The repairman had just been here, but I couldn’t find his number and panicked until eventually it just wore itself out. Still, please don’t use that back left burner.  Now it sets off the clicker on the burner in front of it!!  I certainly hope nothing bad happens.

An additional thrill for the day that many of you made your own was  “The Thing“ that appeared on my garden wall.

Friday: I met my friends Betty, Liz and Larry at Viva Mexico for one of their enchiladas and a naughty tiramisu and one of their killer margaritas.  Later, I felt . . .

Saturday: It’s been so long since I’ve seen my friend Audrey,  but we spent a few hours at the new quirky cafe named Chillin’ and talked about planning a summer camp for kids in San Juan Cosala and Chapala.

The highlight of the week, of course, was the revelation of just exactly what “The Thing” was.  Laura M. beat out a few close contenders for the prize by naming my newest addition to my home the “Lurkin’ Merkin.”  This is what it really was.

And that, my friends, concludes my week in song.  Please hit the links to hear the music.  —Judy

The Prompt:  Describe your past week by compiling a playlist of five songs.

Daily Post: “Lined-up Blues”

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“Lined Up Blues”

(to be sung to the tune of “Jingle Bells”)

Dashing through the flow,
barefooted as I go,
I stand and pine
in the security line,
emptying pockets way too slow.

Put my laptop in a bin
and my 3 oz. bottles in
a little bag,
but I can’t lag
‘case my purse and all my dough

has preceded me through the screen
and the TSA’s look mean.
I’m afraid that lady
who looks so shady
will take my purse and go.

(refrain;)

Oooooh, airport lines,
security whines,
waiting all the day.
I’ll flunk my scan
and the X-ray man
will frisk me all the wa-ay.

Airport blues,
got no shoes,
some man just took my rings.
I’ll lose my seat,
get athlete’s feet,
but lose my other things.

I guess it is the norm
my privacy to storm,
to strip me down
and frown and frown
as they survey my form.

I just spent all my dough
to come from Mexico
to see my kin
and then drop in
to see my favorite beau.

But first I’ll have to ride,
a center seat to abide
and airplane woes
like too-small rows
with no space left inside.

(refrain)

Ohhhhh, Airport blues,
travel dues,
no time to complain.
I grab my stuff
half in the buff
and run to catch my pla-ane.

Airport lines,
security whines,
I fear I’ll rue the day.
‘cause I have to face
this same disgrace
when I reach the U.S.A.!!!!

 

The Prompt: You’re at the airport, your flight is delayed for six more hours, and none of your electronic devices is working. How do you pass the time?

Blogger’s note:  Actually, I wrote a less tongue-in-cheek piece about this topic a few weeks ago. Here’s a link to that blog post: The Atlanta Airport

Addendum to NaPoWriMo Day 9 Post: I’ll Leave the Light On

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For our day 9 post, we were to post a poem that incorporated at least 5 song titles.  I incorporated more and offered a prize for the person who could find the most and promised to publish the solution later.  Well, I failed to do that but I am remedying it today.  Below is the poem with song titles in boldface.  If you count them, you will see there are 50!!! 

The winner was “forgottenman,” who didn’t find all of them but found more than most.  He says no fair to use one-word titles, but I wrote the poem and I make the rules.  You won anyway, Forgottenman!  (See his blog at okcforgottenman.wordpress.com.)

I’ll Leave the Light On

This is a world for the knowing,
and everybody knows
that if we would try just a little bit harder
that we wouldn’t feel so trapped.
yet still we cry baby, cry.

You think he’s gonna carry you home
to China?
It’s not like that, darlin’.
It’s more likely
that you’re walkin’ blind.
You will be two marionettes
on the Twickeham Ferry.

Where can I go?
you ask,
trapped,
a woman left lonely
in winter.

What you gonna do––
let your wedding dress
carry you home
to the cold mountains?

Run, baby, run.
Let the black ladder
be your museum of flight.
At heart you were always
a circus girl,
anyway––
that woman on the tier
far above desolation row.

When were you happy?
I know you keep me in your heart,
the one who loves you the most.
I am in your mind,
in the wind.
The memory of me
is better than love.

This is a call—
a broken man’s lament.
I hope it will
carry you home.
Walk away, Renée.
Walk away

You’ll accompany me.
We can take the long way home

 

(There are 50 song titles.  If you came up one short,  Cry Baby and Cry are two separate titles)