(translated by dame daisy kloverleaf)
i
The billies shot a dart into the air
where it landily landed no one cared
not an arrow because it had to go
it made eleven syllables mon frere
ii
but it did land neither happy nor well
it put out a street light in uptown hell
satan complained to the moving finger
she said not my problem what or who fell
iii
the billigits wanted to make amends
in the multiverse it helps to have friends
good and evil and somewhere in between
never tell which way the future will bend
iv
dearest devily devil we do rue
the harmly harm we brought down on you
perhaps it is for best we leave it spent
like that soul you paid for by iou
coda
dear readerly readers
there are ninety morely more to be seenly seen in the futurely future, beginning in aprily april.
daisy
Second Coda
Now that we can once more use standard capitalization and punctuation, the “readerly readers” are invited to attend every Thursday this March for further nonsense.
Yours,
Leila
Saragun Springs 
I suppose she’s going to be unbearable now she’s got an honour (psst – is it genuine or has she just decided ‘dame’ looks good. Or perchance she’s like a pantomime dame – oh no that can’t be right, then she’d be a he. Oh lordy let’s not go down that tac strewn highway. Thanks for my morning giggle. dd
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Thank you Diane
I’ve discovered that reality, or what Daisy says reality is, or should be, are one and the same. It’s easier to say “Whatever you say, Dame Daisy.”
Leila
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Leila
Hi! In the light of the billigits, it’s worth thinking about how, as Borges pointed out, the word METAPHOR is a metaphor. It means “transfer” in Greek; two terms meet, and one is briefly transformed into the other one, or not so briefly in poetry that survives. Two famous examples Borges always referred to were “whale’s road” for ocean and “swan’s path” for river, both of which came from the Anglo Saxons.
the rubaiyats of the billigits are rich in metaphor, so rich in metaphor that many tomes can and will be written explaining and extolling these in future days!
Can you say a little bit about the difference between making (writing) poetry and writing prose?
Looking forward to March and April!
Dale
PS,
Not only your metaphor-making, but also YOUR VOCABULARY IS (or are?) amazing!
Human language is what made us people in the first place, and it’s what will keep us human, too! Therefore, those who can create with this tool are far richer than the richest billionaire who ever lived…in reality, not in the surface illusion that is “the world.”
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Hello Dale
As always your comments are amazing and have depth.
I do not recall being taught about metaphors in school (where I went it was not surprising). I think we were supoosed to know about them in HS (ours had a school board sanctioned smoking area for the students.) In 1974 you could smoke on school property at the age of 15. I did. So learning deeper things about writing has come from reading works by good writers!
Leila
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Leila
I didn’t start up with cigarettes on a regular basis until I was 18; but I can proudly proclaim that myself and my friends would frequently sneak away from the two high schools I attended and partake of the sacred ganja on a regular basis, only to return to the school in a glorious cloud of smoke with red eyes and grins of hilarity.
My daughters are also no strangers to smoking at school, since both have been suspended for it at least half a dozen times a piece. Today, of course, it isn’t cigarettes. It’s nic (and THC) vaping devices that are their friends. It’s funny how the world turns while staying the same!
D
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Leila
I read a fascinating article about Merlin, King Arthur’s friend, the other day.
It seems Merlin was NOT a wizard in his beginnings. New research on ancient Anglo Saxon poetry has shown that Merlin was never a wizard at all back in the old, olden days.
He was a poet. And not just a poet, a nature poet, specifically. Even back then, people were cutting down all the trees and killing off all the animals. Merlin was very much against it.
He also had a sister. Gwedryn. She too was a nature poet and prophet. Not a witch. Later she morphed into a good witch. Originally (in reality) she was a nature poet.
It’s also fascinating to think about JRRT’s Gandalf, and how much Gandalf is more like a nature poet than he is a wizard. Also fun to think about the differences between being a witch, a wizard, or a poet. Poets are first, the basis for all.
In our day and age, much of the best poetry is in prose. But not all!
Thank you!
Dale
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Hi Dale
About half the smokers in my high school’s shed had blunts long before the terminology. But there was the smell problem, even the dim wittiest teacher knew the smell. So everone went down to the practice field. There were kids in my school who’d give you a contact high if you were downwind of them. Makes me sad that all thise people are “senoirs.” I have made it known that I am still dangerous enough not to call a senior.
All the hoo-haw over vaping is pointless. If you want to tell a teen what to do tell them not to do it. The song remainsxthe same.
I recall the TV miniseries from 98 or 99 Merlin and rather liked it. Camelot is one of the great story set ups ever.
Leila
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I see that you adhere to the important writing rules “Exposition your ass off”, and “adverbs up the wazoo”.
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Hello Doug
I sometimes wonder “are there unwritten writing rules?” A Steven Wright sort of thought.
Leila
PS like a silent chord and invisible sculpture. Might be onto something!
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I thought the Rules were made to be broken – once you know what they are, that is.
And not all rules all of the time – only some of the rules some of the time…
The World is DROWNING in “well-made” writing that follows all of the Rules…
What’s needed most of all is a few brave outliers who are willing to take the risks…of breaking the Rules – but in order to break them in the right way you have to spend years learning what they are first. You can’t break ’em right when you’re ignorant of their existence.
DWB
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True.
I recall Peter O’Toole saying all performers of Shakespeare must become expert in the iambic pentameter before they can ignore it!
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O’Toole!
Not merely a great Actor, also a great Drunkard!
Not unlike Johnny Depp who’s carrying on that particular Tradition!
You Tube videos of Oliver Reed going on talk shows while Blasted are Hilarious…
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Ha! I recall Richard Harris saying that O’Toole had a double phallic name.
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L
Richard Harris has Shakespeare written all over him, even when, or especially when, he’s not performing Shakespeare.
Captain Jack Sparrow, of Johhny Depp fame, is a very popular figure among the 20 and under crowd, I’ve noticed. The smartest of them GET the subversive nature of his humor in that character, too. The era of the great movie star was dead and buried a long time ago, but Captain Jack Sparrow, in aggregate across the six films he appears in, is what these young folks have instead. Also with more than a little Shakespeare in him, sometimes, often at his most intoxicated.
D
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Depp is a great actor. Brilliant, also played Ed Wood.
Funny clips from old Letterman Show with Harris and O’Toole telling stories about their pasts. Also one with Peter giving a camel a huge can of beer.
thanks again!
Leila
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L
Yes, Depp is a great actor and he somehow survived Amber Heard too, which is not too shabby! Or it is very shabby, but still somehow almost a miracle!
He’s also really good as The Mad Hatter in the Alice In Wonderland movie:
“Is this a dream and will we wake up from it?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll miss you when it’s over.”
D
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