Reanimated Lavender Granola Switchblade Nun rides again.

Friday, October 14, 2011

The Story of Three Calls

Wolf calls Red.
on a public line in Marylebone?
No.
on the green concourse's courtesy phone?
No.
on her cell?
Yes.
Lunch, lunch, lunch, says Wolf,
but he slavers so.
Can't, says Red.
To Grandmother's house I go.
old
old
old
Grandma sittin' there in bed
babushka tied around her head
Maybe live,
maybe dead.
knock
knock
knock
Must be Red.

Red calls Wolf.
via singing telegram?
No.
via Western Union candygram?
No.
with the iphone in her hot little hand?
Yes.
Baby, baby, baby, says Red
wish I were with you instead.
tick
tock
tick
tock
Red stay with Gram til half of four
then Gram fall over on the floor
so Red get up
and out the door.
wait
wait
wait
ain't no bus til half of eight.

Red calls Wolf.
do she call him King? Khan? Shah?
No.
do she call him Golden Ra?
No.
do she call him late for dinner?
Never.
She sing oh, oh, oh,
I got the blues, Wolf, please believe me
Everybody I love, up and leave me.
sniff
sniff
sniff
It'll be all right.
kiss
kiss
kiss
Do Red stay the night?
who knows...
She turned her phone off. 
______

for Real Toads. Co-written with Coal Black

21 comments:

  1. The two of you together - man, I can die happy now!

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  2. I SO LOVE IT!!!!!! AND.....I
    MUST HAVE the wolf shirt in the photo!!!!!!!!!!

    I loved every single perfect word.Love the dialect.

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  3. Coal for the cool, Shay for the fire. I'm hearin a saxophone...or is it peddle steel and a harmonica?..it's a blues, anyway...

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  4. nice....what a combination you make...i knew red and the wolf were in it together too...smiles.

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  5. This is super!

    Kay, Alberta, Canada
    An Unfittie’s Guide to Adventurous Travel

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  6. This is one of those poems which leaves me smiling for a long long long time, for smashing a prompt to smithereens and creating a thing of stand-alone beauty. I would love to hear this performed in two voices.

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  7. Well of all the poetry and such-like in all the world this one sure did please me immensely. It rocks. Literally. It has a great rocking rhythm. I loved it.

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  8. Super creative and fun to read... love this!

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  9. Loved it! And how cool it would be to read that one aloud!

    Pat
    www.critteralley.blogspot.com

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  10. Shay--The spirit that created this poem must be a reincarnation of Paul Laurence Dunbar. The rhythm, the modern twist...Brilliant.

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  11. Love it! As I was reading, I thought it sounded like Coal. Reminds me of a hand clapping or jump roping song! And i want the wolf shirt too!

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  12. That was a really fun read!!!

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  13. What a sweet ride after two shots of espresso. Thanks for taking me away on this mini vaca, chica! Your writing inspires me.

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  14. That's so cool. I like that collaboration.

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  15. I love the rhythm of this piece -- it's a great balance of vision and accessibility. A lot of times, the two end up being mutually exclusive, but you've bridged that gap. Nicely done!

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  16. Hey...congratulations! You were one of the door prize winners at the Willow Manor Ball...send me your mailing address...

    tesscaid @ gmail

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  17. Awesome co-write, Shay. (I really enjoyed watching the Occupy video on your sidebar. I posted it to my Facebook account).

    You ROCK! xo

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  18. a truly brilliant partnership! Red must be diggin' that old wolf to turn off her iPhone!

    best tale of Red i've ever heard! ♥

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Spirit, what do you wish to tell us?