Order Within Chaos, an Underfable

         Order Within Chaos

         Once upon a time, a Chaos Butterfly hovered high over a city. It flapped its wings once, and below it all the churches turned into mosques. Another flap, and all the words on all the signs wriggled into another alphabet. Flappity-flap, and women’s hemlines rose and fell and rose and fell. Flappity-flap-flap-flap; changes came and reversed at random.

         Meanwhile the people of the city altered their course not at all. Even when the language they spoke changed mid-sentence, still they said the same thing. It was a day like any other.

         Moral: Keep calm and carry on.

The very model of a Bronze Age despot deity

The very model of a Bronze Age despot deity

He is the very model of a Bronze Age despot deity

With imprecations animal and rock and plant and air, you see

He is the king of kings and he provokes some fights historical

From Jericho to Meggido, by methods categorical;

He's very well acquainted, too, with matters theological,

He understands poetics, both the sane and the illogical,

About how to be ethical he says you've got a lot to see,

(lot to see, lot to see, lot to see..? Aha!)

With many cheerful facts about the uses of hypocrisy.

He's very good at unifying and divisive politics

He knows the thaumateurgic names of angels and their little tricks;

In short in matters animal and rock and plant and air, you see

He is the very model of a Bronze Age despot deity.

(to the tune of "A Modern Major-General")

Hsin Ku

      Hsin Ku

          Twenty-one years ago, in May of 1993, I participated in a poetry festival at Lincoln University, then in San Francisco. At this conference, Dr. Kenneth Fan called for poems of a new form: “Hsin Ku”, or “New Classic”. Its form and rules are summarized by these two hsinku I wrote:

New classic poem form;

four words, four lines

Any topic, any image

Second, fourth near rhymes.

“Let Reason rule Rhyme,”

Decreed the sage Master,

“So our audience be

(I hope) much vaster.”

I admit that I couldn’t resist some sardonicism there. I hope much vaster!

Here are some more:

A single look reveals:

Airplane left, bird right

Climbing, crossing; silent passage

In the evening light.

Me, praise a pearl?

Or its owner, ma’am?

Or its inner grit?

I praise the clam!

O love, we wonder;

Through you, I’m wise;

How deeper we see

Than only two eyes!

Dear love, what song

What best true rhyme

Will show for long

This love through time?

Science, myth and fantasy

Future joy and sorrow;

Dreamer, come enchant me

With life beyond tomorrow.

“What is true reality?

Computer, say the word!”

It answered with finality,

“Your question is absurd.”

Why read science fantasy

Mostly thud and blunder?

I seek marvels, mystery,

Vision, sense of wonder.

Mr. Fan wanted these poems in honor of an ancient Chinese king who prayed for world peace. Alas, I could not resist delivering the following snark:

“May all war cease,”

The high lord sings;

But when there’s peace

Then who needs kings?

Art of the Punwise

        Art of the Punwise

          A yessong parody mondegreen

Grub tumbles through, and you swallow

Lose, win, onto the art of the punwise

Shark…

Pistons…

Cow handle in Wichita all around me

Frost gonna rave, the laughter

Gleam on, onto the art of the punwise

Shark –

Pistons –

Cow handle in Winnebago surround me

I feel lusty and shitty

Frost in the rice as you stir and fry

Count von Count, no account, ah-ah, ah, ah

Grub tumbles through the laughter

Gleam on, onto the art of the punwise

Frost gonna rave, butter gleaming

Gleam on, onto the art of the punwise

Shark!

Pistons!

Cow handle in Wichita all around me

Shark!

Pistons!

Cow handle in Winnebago surround me

I feel lusty and shitty

Sheer Myth

        Sheer Myth

You’re got it all backwards:

Maidens devour dragons,

Monsters create scientists,

Broomsticks ride witches,

Vampires offer their blood,

Phantoms terrify by their absence,

The full wolf turns a man into a moon,

And even the flag is full of pentagrams.