a song for Monday

"Powerful Man"

Lovely party
Let's get us a drink
Listen, smarty
Don't tell him what you really think
Think of your career
And tell him what you think he wants to hear

My, but you're taciturn
Now wouldn't you rather earn some brownie points
Saying the appropriate things
Suck up like a good little guest
Praise is in order best to lay it on thick
Before the fat lady sings

I advise from first-hand experience
That mighty old egos like his expect to be fluffed
So please unbite your tongue sir
And while the night is young sir
Come up with something or your goose will be stuffed

Tell him he's eloquent
Tell him his opinion has meant more to the masses
Than the prose of Gibran
Hang on his every word
Pretend you have never heard a soul who was wittier
And try not to yawn

Yes, I know, you think he's an imbecile
But one nix from him could kill your corporate plan
Don't assume I mislead you
Don't chew the hand that feeds you
Swallow your pride
He's such a powerful man

Yes, you're choking on every syllable
But you can dish out the bull if anyone can
Trust me, this way is better
Sure, there are Irish Setters smarter than him...
But he's a powerful man

"Powerful Man" written by John Bucchino
performed by Jimmy Webb
download here

it's 3:00am in Jerusalem

My father called this morning from Bethlehem. He's seven hours ahead of Boston, and the curfew had just come into effect. I could hear him walking, then stopping. "It's deserted. I'm standing in the middle of the street."

"Did it not occur to you that the curfew applies to you, too?" I said, amazed. "Get the hell out of there before you get arrested."

To the best of my knowledge, he did; he said they were about to go back to Jerusalem. I mentioned the irony and oddity of a lockdown in Bethlehem, of all places; he reminded me of the Palestinian Muslims holed up and surrounded by Jews in the Church of the Nativity, a site sacred to... Christians. It's all weird, folks.

My father said that Bethlehem is full of cats. Lean, mangy cats. He notices things like that.

He sounded happy. I notice things like that.

just thinking

Why am I not doing my laundry?

I am so lazy. This is why my bills are unpaid. I need to do that, too.

I've been avoidant of the laundry because of my back, but I can only avoid it for so long.ˇ