tower of babel no. 31

from a love song to the american lizard 1999

by rawclyde

!

Jus’ cruisin’ along the beckoning flame tips of hell

jus’ cruisin’ while listening to ye olde cathedral bell

it rings such a quaint tune in my increasingly empty head

I could be workin’, but I’m not, I’m cruisin’ instead

~

Thru the desolate empty canyons of time and space

floatin’ along with my handsome smiling face

smiiiiiiiling at all the critters I see along the way

human and otherwise, they smile back, ‘cuz I’m cruisin’ today

~

Whoa, where’d ‘dis new two-hundred-dollar engine part come from

dat’s sittin’ in ‘de passenger seat so steel, sleek, and dumb?

my oh my, its manufactured by ‘de Big Machine i’m surrounded by

n’ its gonna get hooked onto Her little machine ‘dat I’m drivin’ ‘neath duh sky

~

‘Tis almost time for me to go to the valley below

where ‘dis Tower o’ Babel ‘dat I’m quick-sanded by, will no longer glow

believe me, this pretty city done give me quite a bruizin’

but it also do, so true blue, help me keep bountifully crewwwsin’

~

Now, inside each human skull is a pebble rattling around

it’s called Imagination, & in this pebble can be found

a little germ sittin’ behind a windshield lookin’ out

and what you come up with next is what this little spy sees all about

~

Now, if you feed your Imagination ‘de proper fuel

your little pebble spacecraft might cruise pretty cool

right into a realm real as the material world all around

a realm most people can’t see & ‘dat don’t make a sound

~

And that’s where Mother Mary somewhat contrary can be found

with her angels and saints and little halos hoovering all around

playin’ jacks n’ shootin’ marbles with all ‘de twinkling stars

while you’re cruisin’ ‘de avenue surrounded by all ‘deeze funky cars

~

Jus’ cruisin’ around n’ around ‘dis Tower o’ Babel

jus’ cruisin’, avoidin’ the babble whenever I’m able

jus’  cruisin’ like an arrow disappearin’ into the void

one of these days I won’t come back, oh holy mergatroid!

~

text: copyright clyde collins 1999

master of the world

Jules Verne illustration

tower of babel no. 17

~

You just can’t fight civilization, it’s all over the planet now

so I best take a bath or I’ll get no smile with my chow

damn it, it’s a hell of a situation to be in, I swear

taking a bath in a cereal bowl, gotta grin n’ not despair

~

Little monkey up the park tree offer his shaky hand

to ‘de big dog barking below so fierce & grand

peacock with feathers spread out like a masterpiece fan

strut around like he most colorful puke in theese land

~

You just can’t fight civilization, it’s too damn big a beast

so I pour water into the bowl halfway to ‘de brim at least

soap up, rinse, pour dirty water into shit bucket behind ‘de door

repeat this action a few mo’ times without spilling water on ‘de floor

~

Once two curious crows with hello squawks fly over my head

cactus wren jump outta hole up in cactus onto branch wish I was dead

lets me know too, balls me out and angrily flies around

I just stand there with a mug of whiskey & coke & don’t make a sound

~

Here in the city with rubbing alcohol I cut the soap grease

give me-self one more rub-down, put on clean clothes that got a crease

lock up the truck, go eat, waitress is friendly as can be

I’m just an old rubber tramp but she treats me quite royally

~

No, you can’t fight civilization, who wants to anyway?

Just roll with the punch & go eat lunch, that’s what I say

birds, rocks, trees, individuals everywhere have a role to play

The Spirit That Moves In All Things made it that o’ way…

~

from an out-of-print book

A Love Song To The American Lizard

by Rawclyde!

(Copyright Clyde Collins 1999)

~

art:

an old Jules Verne concoction

~