Poetry

Give and Take Music

| | | | | |

Poetry

(all poems on this page © Charlie Jaffe)

School

I love to go to school you know

I go most everyday

Dad takes me on his way to work

Will I be late today?

Running errands in the morning

Sometimes we must do

I hope he pulls up right in front

Before a quarter to

Kiss good-bye, slam the door

And run up four gray stairs

Through the lobby, down the hall

And past the old wood chairs

I'm late I think, oh no not now!

What will my teacher say?

It's very quiet here in school

Oh gosh, it's Saturday!

Winter

It's oh so cold when the cold wind blows

It whips my nose and freezes my toes

I love when snow falls from the sky

And snow drifts pile very high

Snowflakes fall on branches bare

I think I see a polar bear

Snow, snow, snow, snow

Snow all day, snow all night

Tomorrow have a snowball fight

Hats, scarves, sweaters, boots

Little kids wear warm snowsuits

You're sure to have so much fun

Just keep your snowman from the sun!


A Walk in Space I’d like to travel into space I think it would be fun See the smile on my face As I travel ‘round the sun Count the planets, count all nine See that blue one? That one’s mine Mars is red, Saturn has rings Fly in space without any wings Step out of the shuttle, in a special suit Helmet and gloves, right and left boots Walk in space, both far and near Hey, this is fun! I think I like it here! Reach For The Stars The moon and stars live in the sky They shine so bright from where they are Sometimes I feel that I could touch But no, they are so far I'll get a rocket and climb right in And countdown backwards, ten to one A sonic boom and a mighty blast You know this might be fun! Armstrong took his wondrous steps Upon that cream cheese rock Astronauts train so very hard One lives down the block We'll get together and we'll talk about how we flew into the starry night We'll talk about wings We'll talk about things About our famous flight But after all is said and done And we've done just what is right I think it's safe to say, that is Mom wants me home tonight

COMES THE CLEANSING RAIN

Comes the cleansing rain,

bringing with it life and

spontaneity.

Rain is Nature’s way

of washing away the lackluster.

It rained last night.

CJ, 1980

A Hole in the Sky

CJ, Ground Zero Memorial Service. October 28, 2001

For Lonny and all the others...

There’s a hole in the sky

and nothing but blue

there’s a hole in the sky

and we’re crying for you

There’s a hole in the sky

where buildings once stood

there’s a hole in the sky

evil found our neighborhood

There’s a hole in the sky

from acts of sheer terror

there’s a hole in the sky

it must be an error

There’s a hole in the sky

a 9-1-1 call

there’s a hole in the sky

a bright orange fireball

There’s a hole in the sky

since that blue and black morn

there’s a hole in the sky

lives forever torn

There’s a hole in the sky

and now we’re apart

there’s a hole in the sky

and a hole in our hearts

There’s a hole in the sky

since September Eleven

there’s a hole in the sky

the other side’s heaven

There’s a hole in the sky

as we stand at Ground Zero

there’s a hole in the sky

you’ll always be heroes

There’s a hole in the sky

we’re glad to have met you

there’s a hole in the sky

we’ll never forget you

I Thought I Saw Your Shadow

The other day about a week ago

I talked with my wife as we tramped through the snow

We walked in Fog through the park at night

and marveled at the flickering light

I greeted you, we both said “hi”

and the light shone bright with a wink of your eye

So whatever happened through the last decade and a half?

If I had to guess, I’d have to say, you walked a humble path

‘course now it’s too late, ‘cause time is but a gift

live with flaws, grasp at straws, our lows can use a lift

I thought I saw your shadow

turned around, you weren’t there

Like a wisp of smoke you vanished, dissolving in thin air

I think of you and think of time;

the face of a watch that ain’t worth a dime

But that’s not all, there’s so much more

I know it now as I pace the old oak floor

So whatever happened through the last decade and a half?

I know I should ‘a called you, we should ‘a had a laugh

‘course now it’s too late, ‘cause time is but a gift

and the secret to it all is knowing when to shift

It’s easy telling when it’s right, you can smell it when it’s wrong

I think the way to honor you is to put it in a song

So who’s to say what matters, as we chug along the road?

The journey’s not a smooth one, at least as I’ve been told

A week before your forty-seventh

The here and now was here,

now gone

Rest in peace, my old friend

Ron

Ron Federman

April 8, 1958 ~ March 31, 2005

Send Charlie an e-mail... giveandtake@earthlink.net