Orange October

Old-Fashioned Orange October
Now orange October a pumpkin cliché
plump turkeys are destined for super marts
as November grows near short grows their day
autumnal dirges now tear through their hearts
vegetarians cook firm soybean curd
basted turkeys in the oven roasting
hot juicy giblet gravy from the bird
mashed potatoes for dinners we’re hosting
harvest brings an abundance of things nice
fresh apple cider jugs chill in the frost
gingerbread and pumpkin pies filled with spice
covered with whipped cream regardless the cost
candies cookies and other sweet delights
will end October’s jack-o-lantern nights.

Evening is Spread Out Against the Sky
“Let us go then, you and I when the evening is spread out against the sky”
—from The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot (1888- 1965)

I’m looking toward the skyline in the Southeast
its clear tonight and I’m wondering why
those few clouds look like some big beast
lots of stars shining bright up there in the sky
the moon is coming up soon reflecting the sun
did you know its made from elemental metal
it will be billions of years before its day is done
the Milky Way flows from the spout of the Teakettle
orientation through the Big Dipper to find Polaris
Cassiopeia sits in judgement in her celestial chair
mariners pray to Star of the Sea Ave Stella Maris
quietly in flows the dawn of a brand new day
on our remote spiral arm of the Milky Way.

In October Wine is Truth Beer Not Uncouth
A chronic dyspepsian, devilish dude, enjoyed big lunches
he remembered the chili and onions and forgot the relish
with which he wolfed down three of Ignatius’ Lucky Dogs.
the brown mustard spread by a *Confederacy of Dunces
Weiners, Hamburgers, Berliners ate them dogs all day long
noodles, buns, cream sauces, krauts, bread and cheeses galore
accompanied the sausage and beer and down the gullet pour
while they loudly sang an Oktoberfest beer drinking song
there were lobster rolls and Maine lobster out on the dock
fresh reef fish intestines tasted on a jagged coral rock
tuna hearts pulled right out of the fish on a Pohnpeian boat
life in the water, life with a glass of wine, down the throat
reds whites cabernet pinot noir chianti merlot and zinfandel
InVinoVeritas, life with wine enjoy the taste, effect, and smell.

*In the comic American novel by John Kennedy Toole, A Confederacy of Dunces, the main character named Ignatius pushes a hotdog cart shaped like a hotdog (they still exist). The name of the hotdogs is Lucky Dogs.

What Autumn Taught ’Em
leaves of maple were falling so I caught ’em
pumpkins were plumping so I bought ’em
geese in clouds headed south so I sought ’em
buck with a big rack of horns so I shot him
winds blowing cold off the hill so I fought ’em
both my knees of old in pain so I got ’em