Rebecca's Raps

Here's something I've been thinking about.

2011-07-09T18:23:00.001-04:00

At Home in a Falling World

Outside the world is rushing

With terrifying speed

Terrifying word, and

Terrifying deed –

In here we hide pretending

While energy expending ---

Well I hate to tell you children,

I hate to say it at all

But this world we’re in

With its dance and spin

Is going to spiral down and fall.

Will we crash and burn?

We have yet to learn

Just exactly how it’ll go:

Maybe break apart,

Maybe break your heart

Maybe settle down real slow.

I’m not a Cassandra

It’s not a revival;

I’m just kind of worried

About our survival.

It’s not that I want you

To go around scared

It’s just that I think

That you should be prepared.

When the X hits the fan

We’ll just have to discover

The way to survive

Is by helping each other.

And I want you to know

Life can turn on a dime

And something you thought

would be there for all time

Can end up a moment of history –

Our being is always a mystery.

Corn is King

2011-07-09T18:16:00.000-04:00

Here's a little piece that seems seasonally appropriate.

Corn is King

Well call me corn or you can call me maize

I’ve become a part of human ways.

Both on my own and with my buddy soy

Most of the place we can enjoy.

Yes we couldn’t get much more of the planet

If my buddy soy and I just ran it.

Yes the humans think they’re in charge of it all

But they jump when I say and they come when I call.

Well I’m the one for whom they cleared the fields

and they kill off my enemies to boost my yields.

They feed me food to make me grow

until I’m pretty enough to show.

They put me in all kinds of food they eat

They just love corn syrup – it is so sweet.

An emulsifier – a thickening goop

The humans put me in their soup.

No matter if they have to use fossil fuel

Whatever is good for corn is the rule.

Oh, thank you for cutting down the woods.

Thanks for using me in so many goods.

You humans think you’re on top it’s true

But corn has really colonized you!

Passover Rap

2011-03-26T10:46:00.002-04:00

PASSOVER RAP

Narrator

Well settle yourselves,

Get the pillows just right:

for here is the story

of Passover night.

Miriam

I’m Miriam, Moses’ sister

I put that baby in the river

And watched from the reeds while Pharaoh’s daughter

Pulled that cradle out of the water.

And really things could have gone much worse:

I fixed it so mother became Moses’ nurse.

Pharoah’s Daughter

I raised that boy up like a prince,

But he found God and I haven’t seen him since.

Aaron

And I’m Aaron, Moses’ bro

I gotta do his talking cause he’s kinda slow –

Slave

And I ain’t nuthin’ but a Hebrew slave

Spend my whole life workin’ on Pharaoh’s grave.

Pharaoh 1

Well I’m Pharaoh, favored of Ra

My rule goes down to Nubia,

And I’m reachin’ for Ethiopia

While I’m tradin’ with Mesopotamia.

I got people building statues of me

That are gonna last till eternity

(or at least – till a poet named Shelley)[see Ozymandias]

Anyway, that Moses cat

Turned out to be a real brat:

He kills a guy and runs away

and then comes back to free the slaves!

Tzipporah

I’m Tzipporah and I come from Midian

When I saw the stranger I knew he was a cityman

Egyptian clothes and blood on his hands

And pretty soon Moses became my man.

That’s right, I’m Tzipporah, Moses’ wife

And living with him has been some kind of life.

When the man wants water he beats on a stone

And I seen him talking to bushes, alone.

We wander the desert but what can you do –

(Sung to the tune of the last line of Beautiful Dreamer)

It ain’t easy being married to a Jew.

Moses

My name is Moses, and I thought it odd

The very first time I talked to God

From a bush on fire the great Voice spoke

When the bush didn’t burn I knew it was no joke –

And He said, “Go get your people free,”

And I looked back and I said, “Why me?”

And God said when they see what I can do

Even Pharaoh will listen to you.”

So I went back to Egypt land

And among the slaves I found my clan

And I told Pharaoh to let my people go;

Everyone knows that he said, “No!”

He told the slaves to make bricks from mud,

So I turned the Nile water to blood –

But Pharaoh had a hardened heart –

So nine more plagues had to start.

Darkness came without a morn

And the death of the first born;

All over Egypt people cried

When even the firstborn cattle died,

So finally pharaoh relented

And to our departure consented.

Pharaoh 2

Well I’m Pharaoh, ruler of all

And releasing the Jews was a tricky call –

They built our cities, they built our graves –

Can you raise a monument without slaves?

But frogs and death and hail and boils –

I let them go with Egypt’s spoils.

His Yahweh put on quite a show

After ten plagues they had to go.

I changed my mind and we gave chase

To tell the truth, it wasn’t much of a race:

They were on foot, we in chariots proud,

And we would have caught up it if weren’t for that cloud.

That funny cloud made it hard to see,

But we caught up with them finally.

They got to the sea and they somehow crossed

Even then I didn’t know how much would be lost.

When I saw the Hebrews on the other side

I ordered my army to buck the tide.

When I saw them sink beneath the waves

I thought, “Maybe I don’t need those slaves.”

I went back alone to Egypt’s glory

And that’s my last part in this story.

Desert Slave

We were out in the desert and just for a laugh,

We had Aaron make us a golden calf.

After a lifetime of captivity

We thought we were due some festivity;

But when Moses saw us going wild

He said the law had been defiled.

I guess he couldn’t take a joke:

He threw those tablets and they broke.

Then Moses went back up the mount

And brought back commandments, ten by some count.

Desert Slave 2

We walked in the desert with aching feet,

Nothing to drink and nothing to eat

And we told Moses to take us back,

And Moses gave the rock a whack.

Out from the rock did water spew,

And we gathered manna with the dew.

Miriam II

I walked with our people

Right through the sea

A miracle

That made us free

When we reached the far shore

I saw my chance

And pulled out my timbrels

And started to dance

And all those years in the desert lands

It was I who found water amid the sands

*************************************************

Narrator

That’s all I have for now, my friends,

Tho’ I wouldn’t say the story ends:

The people did receive the Law,

Still much revered as the Torah.

So eat your matzoh

And drink your wine,

And thank Yah we’re free

To have a good time!

So Icy and so Late

2011-02-12T10:22:00.000-05:00

So Icy and so Late

Got my coat, hat, and gloves and all of the rest

In this kind of cold you go out fully dressed.

I’d much rather stay home but my dog’s so distressed

That I’m taking a walk though it makes me depressed.

I’ll be out on the road and I’ll feel all alone

The cold and the wind leave me chilled to the bone

The sidewalks are rutted with old ice and snow

I’d rather stay home but the pup’s gotta go,

Years ago my daughter made me say

I’d walk for exercise every day

And always have a dog for a pet

I haven’t broken my promise yet.

I’m not gonna shun my responsibility –

This dog is totally dependent on me.

Though I’m not her mother I’m trying my best

I’ll admit that I love her -- and that she’s a pest!

But something bleak is in the night

There is a dark in all that white

I feel I’m brushed with secret grief

Will telling of it bring relief?

Is it just that my life isn’t quite what I’d hoped it?

Or is modern life just too damn much to cope with?

Would you believe I went out at three thirty a. m.?

That’s right my dog needed a walk once again.

I just wish I hadn’t watched that documentary

About an arctic expedition in the nineteenth century.

Needless to say it was quite a disaster…

Come on, Pooch, let’s get home faster!

Snow Thoughts -- a new poem

2011-02-02T17:02:00.000-05:00

Arguing with my Neighbor while Walking the Dog on A Snowy Day

I really don’t want to go out in the snow

But my dog keeps on barking, so walking we go –

I’ve put on her coat and her booties because

She needs the protection from ice in her paws,

And I’m wearing two pairs of gloves on my hands

The weather is almost more than I can stand.

The wind is now blowing, it’s cold and it’s wet

The past couple of days have been the worst yet.

My neighbor says this isn’t from global warming

We’re just subject to some unusual storming.

He says he remembers – he claims it’s no yarn

The winter the snow reached the roof of his barn.

If I think that the weather is some kind of mystery

He can supply an appropriate history.

I don’t try to argue, I don’t contradict him

(it’s never his fault and he’s always a victim).

If I say that last year was the hottest one yet,

He’ll say that the problem is people forget

How very unbearable August can be

It’s harder to tell cause we’ve all got A.C.

Just ask the old-timers, they’re sure to tell

The way summer used to be hotter than hell,

And winter was even much colder than now,

He says from his perch on his under-used plow

Which he rides all around, he’s so happy to see

A winter that acts like they all used to be,

As snowy and cold as when he was a child,

Forgetting that lately they’ve mostly been mild.

And meanwhile I have to go on with my walk,

My dog is impatient with stopping to talk.

And anyway it would be futile to try

To explain all the damage we’ve done to the sky.

He’ll just think that I am absurdly naïve

And ignorant and that is why I believe

The conclusions asserted by leaders of science,

It’s all just a case of mistaken reliance

On people who thrive on pursuing alarm –

The earth is so big that we can’t do it harm!

Never mind that our actions have taken their toll

While our civilization burns oil, gas and coal

These storms are a sign of a change in the air

And I’m wondering if I had better prepare

To face a world radically different than now

But truth to be told I have no idea how

It all will shake out, how the world will be changed

And long standing patterns will be rearranged –

Already it’s different, and this much I know

I need better clothes to go out in the snow!

Walking the Dog

2011-01-27T10:42:00.000-05:00

Walking the Dog

The dog and the kitty have stepped right on in

To fill in the spaces left by my children –

They want to go out, they want to come in,

Now feed me and walk me and walk me again –

I don’t like this dogfood, can I please have liver?

You’re not just my owner, I call you my giver.

The birdies that here nested long since have flown

My children are out living lives of their own.

I’m glad that they’re strong and enjoying their freedom,

I just didn’t realize how much I’d need ‘em!

The dog and the cat, they just can’t fill the gap

Left by the babies no more on my lap.

I never thought parenting children could end

So I put on my boots and my coat and pretend

That walking the dog can leave me fulfilled

But it doesn’t provide any future to build.

My children still need me and call me, it’s true

But it isn’t the same as the years that they grew

From infant to toddler, from youngster to teen

And on to adulthood to make their own scene.

I’m happy to know that they’re doing so well

And how much I miss them I really can’t tell,

And so I send pictures and cheerfully talk

And meanwhile get ready to take my next walk!

Winter

2011-01-15T20:53:00.002-05:00

Winter is here with the biggest snowfall I've ever seen -- we got about twenty inches.

Lately I've been writing "Occasional poetry". Here's one I wrote after a choral performance of a group I sing in.

After the Concert – Some Personal Reflections

Well we’re singin a song

About fifty strong

I don’t want to be wrong

So I follow along.

Hey, was that a rest?

And is that note stressed?

Did I skip a line?

Are we sounding fine?

When I made my choice

Then I found my voice,

But the part’s too high

And I just squeak by!

If I only breathe

You want me to believe

I will find the tone –

Oops! I’m all alone!

Now I’m one beat late,

Say, we’re sounding great!

Let the basses roll!

Man, those guys have soul

And the tenors fine

Sure can sing a line;

The sopranos fly

When they reach so high,

And the altos keep

The sound wide and deep

While the director tries

To captivate our eyes,

So we’ll stay on guard

For the last ritard.

Let the music flow,

Volume fade and grow

Now we’re all aboard

For the final chord!

Musings

2010-08-23T10:42:00.003-04:00

August is almost over. Lost two friends this month, spent two weekends at funerals and services (and the weekend before at a crematory). Thus a personal grief and sadness intervened into my ongoing grief and sadness about what humans have done and have yet to do to the other species on the planet. (see the current Mother Jones article on the BP coverup) And while the focus and attention of the arrangements were totally on the deceased and the bereaved, the ceremonies were public community events which resonate in multiple ways.

There's that panicky feeling that I haven't actually done something I thought I would always do -- play in a band, say, or write a novel. The standard response to this would be to use the event as a spur to get right on those things, not to waste a moment. And that sneak of a snarky feeling, jealousy, and the unbidden question "Will mine be as celebrated?" and the corollary, start planning your farewell ceremony now. I can almost instantly construct a sound track of my favorite songs (old hippy classics every one) and then there's that crack of regret and understanding of these most recent losses: there went someone who would have totally understood r my wackiness because they were more anti-authority and anti- bureaucracy than I dare to be. In losing a friend, I have lost a witness to myself and our time.

Summer 2010

2010-06-23T07:59:00.002-04:00

What a strange month it has been! Trees falling, health problems, beautiful children, graduation.

Tu B'Shvat

2010-01-26T10:30:00.002-05:00

I posted this last year. Tu B'Shvat is this Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Tu B’Shvat

In the middle of winter Tu B’shvat falls

Thru’ the frost and cold the springtime calls.

There’s a time for rest and a time for growth

Most living things require them both.

The trees offer many kinds of good

giving shade and fruit and we build with their wood

Tho’ a tiny seed may appear the least

It gives us the food on which we feast:

Fruit and nuts and all kinds of seeds

We note the season with our deeds

and give our thanks to the Creator

with a special Tu B’Shvat seder.

If I said all is well you know I’d be lying:

all over the planet forests are dying

Trees give us oxygen that we breathe

So if to our children we would bequeathe

A world of living creatures growing

forests and birds and rivers flowing

A world where trees can live and thrive

where all Yah’s creatures can survive

We’ll care for the earth with humility

And on Tu B’Shvat we’ll plant a tree.

Goodbye Tavy

2009-11-22T19:01:00.005-05:00

Goodbye Tavy

My sweet little kitty was hit by a car Friday night. Okay, so she wasn’t so little and she was about three years old – she should have lived many more years! I found her early Saturday morning right next to the road in front of the house. She had been dead for awhile. I had been worried when she didn’t come in at night when Seven (our other cat) did; I tried calling her a couple of hours later, and a couple of hours after that, and some time after three in the morning. When she wasn’t outside the door at 6 a.m. I suspected the worst. I was thinking coyote, but when I looked out the door’s little window to the street I saw her on our yard.

We buried her in the back yard, about halfway back on the right next to the tall grasses she liked to walk in. We wrapped her in a nice old sheet we weren’t using, a single with a green pattern, and dug through the clay. We threw all her toys in with her. She had a lot of them. She was a very playful kitten. She even would play a little still as a grown up cat, chasing your fingers and toes under the blankets. We planted several mum plants and couple of bulbs around the place.

Tavy – Octavia – was, I have to admit it, the only kitty I have ever loved. I’ve had kitties as pets before, but I never really connected with any of them. They were responsibilities, and I took care of their needs – minimally, often, and not even that with the two kittens I had for a while when I was a student. Some of my kitties have been closer to other family members; I think I understand better now how they felt.

When we got Tavy – “got!"-- when Tavy came into our lives she was a tiny kitten who had taken up residence in our broken down shed. H had been hearing her meow, and tracked her down. She wouldn’t come out of the shed at first, so H put a dish of food down and when she felt she was alone the kitty came out and ate. We kept putting out food and moving the dish a little closer to the house – the kitty would bolt whenever she saw a human. Finally, though, she was in the house! She dashed back out but came back to eat, and I think her confidence was boosted by seeing our dog, Addy, come in.

This kitty was frightened and starving. She ate every scrap of dog and cat food the other animals hadn’t deigned to consume, wet and dry. She was terrified of people, and if you were in the room with her whenever you began to move she would tear away, flying across the house from tabletops to windowsills. She barely weighed a couple of pounds, I’d guess, and her fur was sparse and scruffy (she eventually would have a beautiful, thick, intricately-colored coat). We got her to the vet, and she was treated for parasites and given her shots. (Getting her to the vet was an adventure. We chased her all over the house till we cornered her and with blanketed arms grabbed her.) I was still pretending that we were going to “find her a home,” but meanwhile I figured we should take care of her. My willingness to keep her was somewhat suspended when it became clear that she had no idea of what to do with a litter box. She pooped in the corner of the chair I usually sat in, which I took as a sort of homage. Luckily the vet’s receptionist had a good idea of how to train her – “Leave her in a closed room with the litter box for a few hours and she’ll get the idea. They’re usually pretty good after that” – and sure enough Tavy became domesticated.

We kept her inside for the first six months, and after that we let her be an outdoor cat. She seemed to prefer the litter box – How exasperating is that, to let a cat in and see it head for the litter box and then ask to go out again! She always asked for wet food, morning and evening, although Addy often ate it, I think.

The cats had an uneasy relationship, full of brief challenges and standoffs. But they often ended up sitting on either end of the back of the couch looking out the window, bookends. Cats certainly like to be comfortable, and Tavy had many places around the house she favored. Most nights, she ended up in our bed, on my lap or cuddled in the crook of my knees. She knew the comfortable chairs, and hiding places in the basement, and the bench next to the woodstove. Just a couple of days ago I came upon Tavy and her dear friend, the dog, lying next to each other on the bed, Addy leaning her head on Tavy’s paw. Tavy adored Addy, and often approached her and walked under her and brushed against her. And Addy reciprocated, a little grudgingly, grooming the kitty by chewing on her back.

The light is turning golden and pink as the sun races for the horizon. The second sunset without Tavy in the world. Is this silly? Ridiculous? I was at a shiva last night – I didn’t dare tell the mourner, who had lost his father, that I was grieving for my kitty, though I did manage to tell a couple of people I know and got some much appreciated sympathy. But we love these pets, they are like our children, in a way – I know for me comforting an infant is the warmest of human acts. Young animals that we take in are completely dependent on us for emotional as well as physical needs. And they take care of us, too, in their way.

Tavy certainly was my caretaker, in a way, my emotional caretaker, at a time when I was very low. The autumn when she joined our household I was undergoing a difficult treatment that left me weak and nauseated. For six months I spent every possible moment in bed. Mostly I was watching tv, unable to eat, and I would have been bored except that there was Tavy. She kept me laughing. She was pretty, too, a calico with curious patterns. Her playfulness and explorations of the house took me out of my misery and brought me happiness. Once she got used to being near humans (and until then she would flash across the house at the slightest movement), she began to love to be scratched on the side of her head and stroked in the ways cats approve – except she had an almost dog-like enjoyment of being patted on the head! She’d be right next to the dog when I came into the house, often, and wait for her pat. Later she would climb onto my chest and reach out her paw to get me to pet her. She did this just about every night, recently. She was incredibly soft, and she would purr as I ran my fingers through her fur. Sometimes at night she’d get on me or next to me and I could feel how cold she was. She needed the warmth of another body, and in the day she and the dog often napped together. I think those days and nights in the woods were a rough way to start.

We never did find out where Tavy came from. Was she dumped with a litter? There were no other kittens around. Was she feral – born in the wild? There was no sign of a mother. One thing’s for sure: she was a gift, and I’m thankful that she lived here for those three years. She taught me that kitties can be really sweet. She showed me that you – that I – could – and did – love a kitty cat.

How's the Weather?

2008-03-08T07:58:00.002-05:00

Today we are expecting heavy rain. Flood watches are posted for small streams (like the one next to our property). This doesn't seem like typical early March weather around here, but hey, what's normal anymore?