Holocaust – Day of Remembrance

They rounded us up one day in the rain
Herded us into a cattle-car train
We were just Jews, it was simple and plain
The pain – we must always remember

When the train stopped there were so many dead
Ushered into two groups, tears were all shed
Weak ones culled out and away they were led
That said – we must always remember

None of this ever has made any sense
Staying alive in good health our defense
We'd spend every day praying out by the fence
Consequence – we must always remember


At night we would gather and in silence we pray
Pray that we make it through one more day
What tomorrow would bring – no one could say
Today – we must always remember

Each morning we’d line up; they’d walk down the rows
Deciding who lives; deciding who goes
Each morning we’d pray that we weren’t one of those
God knows – we must always remember


And the stench in the camp from the ovens by noon
Reminded us all of our impending doom
Relief from this hell-hole could not come too soon
Repugn – we must always remember


There were thousands of us left back in the damp
In our bunks, in the ovens, or the cattle-car ramps
And surviving this ordeal left its own stamps
The camps – we must always remember


So each year we gather on Remembrance Day
To honor the loved ones who have passed away
And the horrible price that they had to pay
We pray – we will always remember

mdailey

Groundhog Day

There once was this groundhog named Phil
Who PETA says is getting ill
So they want to insist
That we cease and desist
Or a lawsuit their going to fill


You see, Groundhog Day’s getting quite near
And the crowd sometimes gathers to cheer
But he’s not harmed at all
Let’s let him make that call
This tradition we all hold so dear


Sure a robot could do the job too
And pop up when groundhogs are due
Weather Bug could decide
If it stays out or hides
But the concept just doesn’t ring true

Mdailey 01/27/10

Edgar Allan Poe

Today (Jan 19th) is Edgar Allan Poe’s birthday

I wish that I could write like him
A little bit morbid, a little bit grim
Now the chances of that are a little bit slim
But I wish that I could write like him

I wish that a raven would tap on my door
I wouldn’t get angry, I wouldn’t get sore
I wouldn’t ask questions like whatever for
If only a raven would rap on my door

But I just get a bunny, a turtle, a bird
All cute and cuddly haven’t you heard
No morbid or grim things uttered in word
Writing like Poe about them is absurd

So I guess I’m no poet like our dear Mr. Poe
For morbid and grim from me doesn’t flow
I’m just your typical regular schmo
But maybe the only poet you’ll ever know

No I’m just a poet down at the seashore
And I hope I write poems that you might go for
But Poe – he’s a poet so I’ll end this therefore
With a quote from a raven – Poe’s nevermore!

Mdailey 01/19/10

Flood

The rivers are up
The levees are down
Gotta move on before we all drown
Rain keeps on falling
Sick of that sound
Gotta move on before we all drown
Piling up sandbags
Still losing ground
Gotta move on before we all drown
Taking our farm land
Flooding our town
Gotta move on before we all drown
Exhausted and beat
No hope to be found
Gotta move on before we all drown
Livestock let loose
Round up the old hound
Gotta move on before we all drown
Close up the place
One last look around
Gotta move on before we all drown
Me and the family
Don’t know where we’re bound
Gotta move on before we all drown
     Gotta move on before we all drown
          Gotta move on before we all drown
               Gotta move on before we all drown

Mdailey  06/23/08

“No Pants Subway Ride”

8th Annual “No Pants Subway Ride”



It’s been brought to my attention
There’s a brief one-day suspension
Of the requirement to wear your pants and ride
It’s an improv-based experiment
To show there’s no embarrassment
And pants or not, you have no need to hide

So this Saturday, the 10th of Jan
Be you woman or a man
A lovely pair of drawers will hit the spot
Ignore the snickers and the stares
Act as if you had no cares
And ride the train as if you just forgot

There’ll be thousands round the world
That will leave their pants unfurled
And ride the train or metro casually
You can join them brave and bold
Sans pants as you’ve been told
Or once on board, just drop them gradually

If you are among the masses
Please show no bare assess
Wear some drawers in regal dignity
If you ride the train this weekend
Remember, no fair peekin’
If I see you, pretend you don’t see me!

Mdailey  01/08/09


If you want some ideas on what to wear or not to wear and you are not easily offended, check out the No Pants website from this year. There are pictures from the DC Metro as well as from trains and subways around the world. Just Google No Pants Day 2010

Disney Love Life

I got the first two lines of this poem in my head when I went to bed last night and composed this before I could go to sleep.  Don't has me why - sometimes these things just pop into my head and I can't do a thing about them but write them down.


Is your love life like that of Aladdin?
Before he uncovered a lamp
Or maybe like Disney’s dog Lady
Before she encounters her Tramp
Are you living a life just like Snow White
With seven good guys all at once
Or maybe like Geppetto’s puppet
When he turned into a donkey dunce
If Disney is telling your story
Then pray that you’re just at the start
Be careful and pray and maybe some day
You will end up with a happy heart


Till then go on rubbing that lamp
And looking for your kind-hearted tramp
Don’t take apples from strangers
Be wary of dangers
And just let your love life revamp
Somewhere your Prince Charming is looking
And a wishing star’s starting to shine
And your hero is taking the booking
And everything’s going to be fine

Mdailey 01.12/10

Winter Wedding

I attended my neice's wedding on 2 Jan.  The weather was cold but the warmth of the occassion and the love of the family made it all worth while. 


They dreamt of a white winter wedding
It came true – the town’s covered in snow
The excitement was going up daily
The temperature falling below
Minus 30 degrees with a wind chill
Noses and cheeks were all red
This was not how I liked my winters
I was thinking of this with some dread

The hotel where we all stayed was regal
All comfy and cozy and clean
Outside we saw more than one eagle
At one time I counted sixteen
The relatives came from all over
From east coast and west cost you bet
The farthest had gotten there early
The nearest had not got there yet

The couples’ true love was apparent
The look in their eyes seem to glow
But the reception hall still had to be set up
And we only had one day to go
The bride’s family all got together
And duties assigned to them all
The printer’s, the florist, the jeweler’s
And then some of them went to the mall

The wedding was held at St. Mary’s
In Iowa City - downtown
The groom and the bride’s dad wore tails
The bride in a flowing white gown
The bride’s family all cried when they saw her
The cousins were honored to sing
The wedding took place at the altar
At the altar they each got a ring

Then off to the “Old Brick” to party
A walk of three blocks we were told
The bride and groom rode there in comfort
The rest of us walked in the cold
While the bride and groom took some pictures
The drinking and music began
The former a little too early
The latter much louder than planned

We sat down for dinner and speeches
The best man and bride’s maid gave toasts
The talked of the love of the couple
And which of them could talk the most
Then with everyone out on the dance floor
The girls’ heels turned in for flats
The guys had all shed their jackets
And all at once we saw the bats

First one, then two, then another
They were swooping and diving and such
With everyone diving for cover
The bats were a bit much too much
The cliché of “Bats in the Belfry”
Unfortunately came true that night
We tried but we couldn’t catch them
So we called in their local B. Fife

Barney brought Tupperware to contain it
But the bats disappeared you can bet
He said that he couldn’t restrain it
For he hadn’t brought him a net
When he left the bats came out of hiding
Back to swooping and diving for fun
With everyone trying to catch them
But none of them getting it done

Then all at once, the party’s over
The bride and groom slipped out of sight
The tables are cleared, the candles blown out
We decided to call it a night
They had dreamt of a white winter wedding
And a white winter wedding they had
In spite of the cold and the wind and the snow
The wedding was not all that bad

Mdailey 01/11/10

Santa Had a Bad Day

Did you ever wonder where the tradition of placing an angel on top of a Christmas tree came from.  Here is one theory that appears plausable to me.

Santa had a bad day
Four of his elves got sick
The trainee elves did not produce
The toys quite as quick
Santa felt the pressure
Down in his big round belly
His Christmas plans were turning out
Like undeveloped jelly

Then Mrs. Claus told Santa
Her mom would soon come visit
His stress was building daily
"this isn't my year, is it?"
He went to harness reindeer
And found that three were preggers
Two others had just jumped the fence
Where were those lousy beggars?

When he began to load the sleigh
One of the floorboards cracked
The toy bag fell to the ground
No longer were they stacked
Frustrated poor old Santa
Went for a cup of cider
And maybe just a shot of rum
With the pressure getting tighter

But the cupboard, it was empty
The elves had drunk it all
And hidden all his liquor
Those elves sure had some gall
Frustration ever growing
He dropped the cider jug
And scattered glass upon the floor
And even on the rug

He went to get his trusty broom
But the mice ate all the straw
Not a thing was going right
Then he looked up and saw
An angel standing at his door
He heard the doorbell ring
He yanked that big door open
And heard the angel sing

"Merry Christmas to you Santa
Isn't this a lovely day
I pray this day is going right
For you in every way
I've brought a little Christmas tree
And I, myself, did pick it
It's yours because you're Santa Claus
Where would you like to stick it?"


Thus began the custom
And why today you see
A pretty little angel
On top the Christmas tree

Mdailey   12/10/08

Please make this a part of your Christmas reading this year.

SANTA ?

I wrote a little Christmas poem on the way to work last year. I had to keep repeating lines to myself as traffic was moving and I could not write and drive at the same time. I didn’t want to forget the words and for once, I was hoping for a red light. I finally got behind a school bus with flashing red lights and could jot down most of the lines. Here it is – my Christmas poem for all of you.  Go ahead and sign in as a follower so I know who is reading these.   Thanks    Mike

SANTA?

It’s my early morning habit to walk down my long drive
To get my morning paper while the world’s still not alive
But the early morning silence was shattered by the sound
Of leaves as they were scattered along the frozen ground.
Squinting through the darkness I thought I saw some moves
Reflecting off the moonlight was that antlers; were those hooves?
I know it’s late December and with Christmas almost here
Could that be dear old Santa and his pack of eight reindeer?
I never saw a red sleigh or spied a fat old elf
But I didn’t look that closely, I’d rather fool myself
And just go on believing that Santa’s just a myth
And its parents not old Santa that brought me Christmas gifts
But there’s a still a little boy inside me whose heart just skipped a beat
If it really was old Santa, wouldn’t that be neat!

Mdailey     12/23/08

Ocean Ridge Singers

I joined a singing group down here in NC (I was volunteered by my loving wife without my knowledge) and we had our winter performance last week and weekend.  I tried to capture the moment(s) in rhyme.  Let me know what you think.

The afterglow of the show still lingers
From when I sang with the Ocean Ridge singers
With altos and tenors, base and soporano
Alice conducting and Ruth on piano
We met every week for an hour long practice
But that Hallelu Chorus left my throat like a cactus
On the night of the shows we just crossed our fingers
That we’d hit all the notes for the ballads and swingers
Now the “12 Days of Christmas” was fun for us all
When everyone stood up and danced in the hall
Joanne’s touching solo on being a tree
Put a lump in the throat of that wee boy in me
And when Maggi Edwards got up there to sing
Her “Breath of Heaven” pulled on my heart string
“What Child is This?” – “O Holy Night”
“Ring the Bells” – they were pure delight
And while “Santa Baby” just made me chuckle
“Swinging with Santa” was always white-knuckle
I cherished the chance to sing with the octet
But that first night fiasco I just can’t forget

I’d like to go on naming each singer and song
But the rhymes are not there or the poem grows too long
As I said at the start, the afterglow lingers
I can’t wait for the spring and the Ocean Ridge Singers

Mdailey       12/14/09

My Girlfriend

I wrote this a couple of years ago - no hidden meaning - I just liked the way the words sounded together.  Of course every guy (and every girl) wants a girlfriend/boyfriend that is a little naughty even if it means they get nothing for Christmas.
My girlfriend got nothing for Christmas
While young she was nothing but bad
Now that we’re dating each other
Her bad is the best that I’ve had

She knew that old Santa was watching
Tracking to see who’s bad and who’s good
She knew how to be good for goodness
She knew how but she never would


We grew up not far from each other
My parents said she’s not our kind
You wouldn’t believe all the stories
I did then but now I don’t mind

We met then one night at a party
She said I looked lonely and sad
She showed me a way we could change that
My girlfriend is nothing but bad


My girlfriend got nothing for Christmas
While young she was nothing but bad
Now that we’re dating each other
Her bad is the best that I’ve had

Mdailey 

Christmas in Your Pocket

OK - it is time for a few Christmas themed poems.  A little on the light-hearted side.
Three men died on Christmas Eve and were met by Saint Peter at the pearly gates. "In honor of this holy season" Saint Peter said,” You must each possess something that symbolizes Christmas to get into heaven."


My version - - -

St. Peter told the gentlemen "to pass the Pearly Gate
Show me something that's like Christmas - go on, I'll simply wait"
The first man fumbled through his pockets and came out with a BIC
"The lighter's like a candle" --- "OK - that does the trick"
The second grabbed his car keys and with some mighty shakes
"They're bells just like at Christmas" --- "OK - that's all it takes"
The third man got real nervous - he was feeling kind of ill
Then pulled out a pair of panties and said "These ought to fit the bill"
St. Peter raised an eyebrow - what he heard then brought a grin
"These are Carols" said the third man. St. Peter let him in!
If the moral of the story was "Always Be Prepared -
Keep Christmas in your pocket” - How would you have fared?


The real Moral of the Story - - -

When you run into Saint Peter
The Pearly Gate great greeter
So he doesn’t close the gate and simply lock it
Keep in mind our dear Lord’s glory
And how you’ll tell the story
Of how you always kept some Christmas in your pocket.

Mdailey     12/03/07

A Soldier’s Letter Home

I can’t believe it is that time of year
I haven’t yet gotten that old Christmas Cheer
What with you back at home and me over here
I love you and miss you my dear

And even though I’m near the place of His birth
I hear no “Merry Christmas”; see no Christmas mirth
And Lord knows from here I see no Peace on Earth
I love you and miss you my dear

But we’ve put up a tree – looks like Charlie Brown’s
And we’ve hung on its branches gold-colored spent rounds
And when the wind blows those tinkle bells sound
I love you and miss you my dear

I miss the kids more and more every day
And you know I would be there if there was any way
Tell them I miss them and ask them to pray
I love you and miss you my dear

Now give the kids kisses and say “Daddy loves you”
And I’ll hurry home once my tour here is through
So I can give kisses and hugs to you too
I love you and miss you my dear


Well the Captain is calling, the fighting’s begun
I’ve put on my helmet, my vest; grabbed my gun
Say a prayer for me dear but now I’ve got to run
I love you and miss you my dear

Mdailey 12/06/09