Three More Poems I Wrote

Sonnet upon First Seeing George Washington Carver’s Laboratory

Work is over, job is done, I took the
Long way home- Now I have a story.
Tonight I pass by your laboratory.
(I was never a whiz at algebra.)

Listen, Mr. George Washington Carver,
I’m just stacking boxes for my Dad’s store,
But your books, discoveries, peanuts bore
Fruit profusely, you are the planter.

The coins in my pocket are heavy, past
Significance. I don’t want to use them.
Now I perceive my eyes are dumbly dim.
My nose pressed against your window of glass,

I think I’ll come this way again, again,
To find out where I end and you begin.


T-U-F-F Rappin’

I’m slick like Crisco
Challengin’ the status-quo
Makin’ sure the in-flow is cool with all the out-flow

I’m a sweatin’ in a gold mine
Workin’ double overtime
My jeans is brown - my hat is hard - got dirt inside my intestine

My pants is lower than they should be
Hangin’ down with gravity
I’m a dentist- here’s my drill- gonna fix your cavity

Yeah I’m T-U-F-F tuff
Not T-O-U-G-H tough
Yeah I’m R-U-F-F ruff
Not R-O-U-G-H rough

Peace!


Until I Could Get Them Copyrighted

Around 1992 Kyle and I looked up how much our comic books were worth in Wizard magazine. I had Spiderman’s wedding to Mary Jane Watson, which was worth twenty bucks, if it was in mint condition.

Around 1884 William Williamson went to homestead near Beaumont, Texas. He might have been a horse-thief from Louisiana.

Around 2000 Mr. Mequon told me to get out of his classroom. I sat on the wall outside and saw a cloud that looked like a squirrel. I ate the rest of my peanut-butter M&M’s.

Around 1995 Mom said William Williamson was definitely not a horse-thief from Louisiana. I told her if my great great great grandfather was a murderous pirate I wouldn’t really care ‘cause I never met him. She made me cut my hair.

Around 2015 Dr. Fredrick M. Nancheck invented the boshglupper, which greatly improved the efficiency of both washers and dryers.

Around 2014 I made up perfect plans for the boshglupper. I showed Bill the plans, and he told me to hide them until I could get them copyrighted. But I watched a movie instead.

Around 1999 I went to the grocery store to buy tomatoes, but they were out. There had been a sale that day and I went there late at night. They were 32¢ per lb. If I had known about the sale, I would have gone earlier.

Around 1994 Dad made me pull the weeds in the yard, and he bought a pair of Bib overalls for me to wear while I did yard work. I told him I didn’t want to wear overalls. But he said “They’re so functional, Jerry! Don’t you see the double-reinforced knees?”

Around 2001 I counted the number of bricks in my bedroom wall. There were 76.

Around 2004 my Mom wrote me a letter saying maybe William Williamson was a thief, but we can still be decent people.