The Hollywood heavy left the bughouse
to become a public gangster,
then dynamited the studio
out of some imagined rancor.
"I am the King of the Eskimos!"
he declared with eyes gone glassy
he declared with eyes gone glassy
and wore in his hair a plastic rose
convinced it looked quite classy.
His career was a catastrophe
playing ghouls and goons
but they say he gained some mastery
in the place where they count the spoons.
After a time, he married a mime
who made crickets seem loquacious.
They had nine kids--one sublime
and the other eight pugnacious.
He coughed and keeled and passed away
in the middle of his biggest caper.
You can't even visit his grave today--
he vanished into vapor!
______
posted with profuse apologies to Alicia Suskin Ostriker, the subject of this week's Word Garden Word List.
The image is of Lon Chaney Sr.
Music: Betty Booom & Ashley Slater Spooky Scary Skeletons
I love this so much! The loquacious crickets, the pugnacious kids. Made me grin.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting character!
ReplyDeleteloquacious/pugnacious. It was worth the read just for that but i loved this "adult nursery" rhyme. It was tongue in cheek and fun! 100 stars.
ReplyDeleteTHis poem made me laugh. I love the rhymes, the rhythm and the story. The second last stanza in particular made me chuckle. Great fun! :-). Jo.
ReplyDeleteA fun read!
ReplyDeleteLOL! Great. This line in particular: "he gained some mastery
ReplyDeletein the place where they count the spoons."
A delightful bit of whimsy that Large Larry Lilliput would say did him more than a little justice!
ReplyDeleteEh, anonymous me strikes again. 👆
ReplyDeleteBrilliant fun! Love the jaunty pace and all the details, especially how he wore a plastic rose in his hair! :-)
ReplyDelete"After a time, he married a mime
ReplyDeletewho made crickets seem loquacious.
They had nine kids--one sublime
and the other eight pugnacious."
buddha and his eight brothers, son of hollywood hack raptured up, and the loquacious crickets... that's a sitcom just waiting to happen. always a wild ride shay, love it!