Overheard at the Counter: The State of Modern Literature

I don't like books any more. Can't stand them. They are eating themselves. They always try to catch my attention by telling me that they are "unique". This is a lie. Books Re not unique. Every story is the same story and it is the story that has been told since we first learned how to diatinguish a grunt from a growl and call it words. The honor in a book is how it tells and retells this same story, it is the tilt that makes it special, but by God don't try to convince me that it is unique, because it is not. And stop telling me that it is powerful, that it packs a punch,that it will leave me breathless. If I want to see something powerful I will walk into a waterfall. If I want to be packed by a punch I will get myself into a barfight. If I want to be left breathless I will make love to a beautiful woman who walked with me into the waterfall and pulled me out of the bar. Don't tell me that they are timely. Watches are timely, books mark off decades, and centuries. And stop saying thatthey are inspirational. Nothing inspires me but a sunset or the success of others. And atop telling me that it is an outstanding achievement. Birthing a baby is an outstanding achievement. Not punching your boss in the face when she screams ar you for not kissing her royal butt every day, that's an achievement. A book is aimply several million words steung in a line. I love words, totally love them. But books, books I can no longer stand, because the only steing of worss worth reading in books these days are the ones on the back cover that tell me how magnificent this book is.

A View from Table 4

"One More Cup of Coffee"  by Leica

Overheard at Table 5: All Our Sons

One Dad to Another:   The other day I found on the Google history some of the sites my son's suddenly started hitting when he's SUPPOSED to be doing homework.   Had to have a good long talk with him about what porn is and how nasty it is, I mean I was really P.O.'d, because I'm telling him, look - all those girls you're checking out, that's somebody's sister, that's somebody's mom, just like if it was his sister or his mom.   I think that kind of made him think a little, at least I hope . . .

but what really gets me, I think, is the fact that the sites he was checking out weren't even classy!   We're talking some nasty, lo-qual porn, lemme tellya!

Overheard at Table 1: Ballad Compilation

Can you believe I found this in the cut-out bin the other day?   Look at the tracks on this baby . . . it's just called A Pack of Ballads Both Old and Contemporary.

Every song on here is just beautiful - just simply beautiful . . .

John Wesley Harding – Little Musgrave

Todd Snider – DB Cooper

Tannahill Weavers – Harris and the Mare

James Taylor – The Frozen Man

Cry Cry Cry – Cold Missouri Waters

Richard Shindell – Are You Happy Now?

Bryan Bowers – The Scotsman

Bob Dylan – Jim Jones

John McCutcheon – Christmas in the Trenches

Tom Waits – Romeo is Bleeding

Maloney, O’Connell, Keane – There Were Roses

Kevin Burke’s Open House – Oedipus Rex

Nanci Griffith – Tecumseh Valley

The Pogues – And the Band Played Waltzing Mathilda

Overheard at the Counter: TOP TEN SONGS

Every now and again a person must examine their life in context of what they consider to be the top ten songs of all time.    Today is one of those days, and I have realized that several of the songs contained herein have always been on my top ten list (namely "In the Mood") but there are several surprises, which may just be from my current mood.   But here they are, the top ten songs - based somewhat on performance, but some also have strengths because multiple performances show the strength of the song (namely "Moonlight Sonata") . . . but without further ado, hoodoo, or voodoo - here is:

1) Glen Miller - In the Mood
2) Ray Charles - Hit the Road, Jack
3) Aretha Franklin - RESPECT
4) Ludwig Von Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata
5) Heart - Barracuda
6) The Beatles - I am the Walrus
7) JS Bach - Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
8) Ozzy Osbourne - Crazy Train
9) Simon and Garfunkel - America
10) Buddy Holly - Everyday

Overheard at Booth 4: American Jesus

The American Jesus said,

"I am the Truth, the Justice, and the American Way."

John 14:6

Overread at Booth 1: Holocaust Rememberance Day

from 366.


110.

As the bells toll
in Israel,
work stops this morning,
and heads are hung in solemn silence.

6 million.
12 million.
some say only two million.
some even say,
not one.

not one in the oven.
not one made into lampshades.
not one made into soap

this morning,
the bells are rung, rung
in rememberance of
being herded into boxcars,
crowded so together that
children suffocated,
old women suffocated.

imagine staring out through the slats
of a train car at the grey polish countryside
slickering by,
while some unknown corpse slowly aches
against your breast.