Will Dockery wrote:

> General-Zod wrote:

>> Will Dockery wrote:

>>> On Wednesday, July 25, 2007 at 10:06:19 AM UTC-4, baloney wrote:
>>>> On Jul 24, 2:56 pm, Will Dockery <will.dock...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> > On Jul 24, 10:00 am, baloney wrote:
>>>> > > "Vera" wrote
>>>
>>>> > > > > His name suggests a Polish background.
>>>> >
>>>> > > > > I found little of his poetry in Google, but maybe I didn't
>>>> > > > > search well enough. Don't have that much time on the net--
>>>> >
>>>> > > > > Would someone be so kind as to post something of his
>>>> > > > > (not in complete form, of course!) Best to leave out a middle
>>>> > > > > part rather than that essential last line.
>>>> >
>>>> > > > > At least I should know whose style I'm copying!
>>>> >
>>>> > > > > Thank you!
>>>> >
>>>> > > > > Vera
>>>> >
>>>> > > > huh? you're copying Bukowski? I think you like
>>>> > > > yourself WAY too much for there to ever be
>>>> > > > any confusion about the two.
>>>> >
>>>> > > I think someone else compared Vera's style to Buk's, and she doesn't
>>>> > > know much about him, so she is curious.
>>>> >
>>>> > Probably the "chopped-up-prose" thing, I guess,
>>>> >
>>>> > > Someone at the local strip mall said the old man looked like Jimmy
>>>> > > Buffet, so he asked me who he is for much the same reason. My answer
>>>> > > was, "Well, he isn't Warren Buffet; I think he's a musician." I
>>>> > > looked up Jimmy Buffet, and excepting the ubiquitous Hawaiian shirt, I
>>>> > > still think the old man looks more like Teddy Roosevelt. "Bully!"
>>>> >
>>>> > Interesting that Buffett /and/ Roosevelt come to mind constantly when
>>>> > I'm around Barfield, he's got the swashbucking sailor-rough riding
>>>> > warrior poet thing down, and have lived it since I first met him as a
>>>> > kid.
>>>> The old man only looks like Teddy. The old salts I knew were my
>>>> father's friends, but they weren't poets. I spent a lot time on boats
>>>> as a kid. I cleaned a lot of fish, caught some too.
>>>> Anyway, Barfield, whom I only know from what you've written, seems
>>>> like a character from a southern gothic novel, eccentric, a little
>>>> wild, interesting. I can't fault others for eccentricity, but I'm a
>>>> mousy eccentric.
>>>> >
>>>> > On the Buffett angle, here's probably the ultimate JB song-poem:
>>>> >
>>>> > A Pirate Looks At Forty
>>>> >
>>>> > Mother, mother ocean, I have heard you call
>>>> > Wanted to sail upon your waters since I was three feet tall
>>>> > You've seen it all, you've seen it all
>>>> >
>>>> > Watched the men who rode you switch from sails to steam
>>>> > And in your belly you hold the treasures few have ever seen
>>>> > Most of 'em dream, most of 'em dream
>>>> >
>>>> > Yes I am a pirate, two hundred years too late
>>>> > The cannons don't thunder, there's nothin' to plunder
>>>> > I'm an over-forty victim of fate
>>>> > Arriving too late, arriving too late
>>>> >
>>>> > I've done a bit of smugglin', I've run my share of grass
>>>> > I made enough money to buy Miami, but I pissed it away so fast
>>>> > Never meant to last, never meant to last
>>>> >
>>>> > And I have been drunk now for over two weeks
>>>> > I passed out and I rallied and I sprung a few leaks
>>>> > But I got stop wishin', got to go fishin'
>>>> > Down to rock bottom again
>>>> > Just a few friends, just a few friends
>>>> >
>>>> > (instrumental)
>>>> >
>>>> > I go for younger women, lived with several awhile
>>>> > Though I ran 'em away, they'd come back one day
>>>> > Still could manage to smile
>>>> > Just takes a while, just takes a while
>>>> >
>>>> > Mother, mother ocean, after all the years I've found
>>>> > My occupational hazard being my occupation's just not around
>>>> > I feel like I've drowned, gonna head uptown
>>>> >
>>>> > Coda:
>>>> > I feel like I've drowned, gonna head uptown
>>>> >
>>>> > -Jimmy Buffett, 1974
>>>> >
>>>> > > Wry little poem by Buk, thanks for posting.
>>>> >
>>>> > It probably goes without saying that Buk's one of my favorites, though
>>>> > his name hasn't come up much lately (the last time was prbably when I
>>>> > compared Chuck's "shock" style to Buk)... Dale Houstman gave me a very
>>>> > memorable paperback book blurb quote when he wrote that I was "...a
>>>> > better poet than Bukowski..." or something similar.
>>>> >
>>>> It doesn't surprise me that you'd like Buk and Houstman wouldn't. I
>>>> like Buk in small doses; he's not my favorite, but there is a certain
>>>> appeal. In case you haven't noticed, Earl Nelson's work is highly
>>>> influenced by Buk.
>>>> > Anyhow, I don't have the book handy and no time to Google (a few hours
>>>> > of sailboat repair await today) but "Boarding House Madrigals" is the
>>>> > poetry book of Buk's I'd name as a favorite out of the dozens out
>>>> > there, containing many favorites which were fun to read aloud when the
>>>> > time came to wake up the audience. The one where Buk writes
>>>> >
>>>> > "...My old lady wouldn't let me sleep..." a few more lines "...so I
>>>> > killed her."
>>>> >
>>>> > and the one where he wakes up from a drunken night and finds his
>>>> > friend with his big toes in his old lady's... well, you can guess
>>>> > where, or know the poem already... I might look these up later, if
>>>> > they're online somewhere, and post them here... great stuff.
>>>> >
>>>> Post one when you find it.
>>>> Have fun with the boat. I usually get a boat fixing chore put on me
>>>> when I visit my sister.

>>> Good memories, I had forgotten Barfield's boat.

>>

>> Was it the pontoon boat...?

> No, the pontoon boat was another time.

Ah, I see.....