when i see a new vocab
what do i see
fresh color on my canvas to dab
poetry…poeltry in motion

the other night at pasta pomodoro in santana row
chickentarian phrase served to my palette-palate with a bow
so now the paintbrush went to work
first google and wiki it for juice to invoke

to my surprise many chickentarians roost
their palate, only chicken and vegetables boost
wiki flavors it as pollo-vegetarianism
adjouter fish to it, voila pesce-pollorianism
or less sophisticated chickifishitarian to become
fowl matter to succumb

what happens when turkey, duck and chicken mix
et voila, “turducken” machen or “chucky” fix
by the way, why dark meat is more succulent?
thanks to myoglobin in leg muscles and fat globule accent

poultry in motion, walking side by side
her lovely locomotion
keeps my eyes open wide for pen to slide
poeltry in motion, see her gentle sway
on a wave out on the ocean
that’s how pen moves to play

i love every movement and there’s nothing i would change
she doesn’t need improvement, she’s much too nice to re-arrange

poles and trees in motion, dancin’ close to me
a flower of devotion
for all the world to see
poetry in motion, all that i adore
no number 9 love potion
could make me gobble-gobble more

a happy thanksgiving to crow,crow,crow,crow
a feast to throw, throw,throw,throw
a squawk mission to grow, row and bestow
a stitch on the side to sew,sew,sew,sew
love to all out there to blow,blow,blow,blow

blow, blow thou winter wind
love blind, thou art so kind to bind

yesterday a latte break among lady friends
at peet’s coffee, we covered heart matters of various blends
interesting ecosystems of match.com and eharmony learnt
places to risk firing your heart or get rejected and burnt

recalling oliver pining
where….is love?
does it fall from skies above?
who can say where she may hide?
must i travel far and wide?
and nancy proclaiming as long as he needs me
as long as life is long..i’ll love him right or wrong
if you are lonely, then you will know
when someone needs you, you love them so
mingled with lennon’s when i find myself in trouble, mother mary comes to me
speaking words of wisdom, let it be

somehow my penchant for getting lost to find
food for thought, piece of mind
i love to go a-wandering
so join me now in my googling and yodeling

first hit led to “a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle”
coined by irina dunn, aussie educator-journalist-politician perusing a 19th century article
in 1970 for her english honors course
she stumbled across “a man needs God like a fish needs a bicycle”, a clause for pause
opportune to conspire a gloria steinheim women’s lib cause
and to graffiti perfect on two doors in the loo to moo
one at her sydney university and another at a wine bar in woolloomooloo
this homily migrated to the loo of university of wisconsin-madison
soon feminist t-shirts&posters “behind every great woman is a fish on a bicycle” jettison

which led me to a poetic jig
“a woman needs a man…” by michael leunig
a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle;
a man needs sushi when a woman is an icicle;
a man needs a car to zip across town
to order a tuna and gobble it down.
the tuna needs a car to be partially banned
and bicycles re-introduced to the land;
a person would need to be radically pushy
to pedal for miles in the rain for a sushi;
better to stay home with noodles for dinner;
the man and the tuna would both be the winner.
the world needs to get itself out of a pickle;
a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle.

which landed me peddling on “the fish and bicycle” page
compiled by john allen of “a woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle” rage
and soon to the fish guts cyberspace http://thisfish.ivillage.com/ i brake
celebrating single life-this fish needs a bicycle-if not comfort, at least entertainment’s sake

my cyber tour de france then took me to poet doreen fitzgerald
who in copyright 1993 herald
her version of “a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bike”
in the ester republic volume 4 number 2 march 2002 prose mike

a bicycle, that is one she can
pedal with both fins,
the ones that center
her scaled form,
which he likes, of course,
in his own crude way,
with his chain-linked feelings
and geared-down tongue.
you can move water
with a turning wheel,
once you get the balance right.

circling myself back to the trigger source of it all
which is “a man needs God like a fish needs a bicycle” withdrawal
took me to “a man without *God* is like a fish without a bicycle” on phrase finder forum
to yahoo.com socratic pig’s “is man without God like a fish without bicycle?” quorom
of various plausible responses you can cast your votes
here is a sampler of quotes:

with a touch of my rapping kiss
a man without God is….
“an atheist”, “like a fish without water”
“like a fish without gills” in the gutter
“like a pig without an oink”
“God is everything to the Christians, but to a pig, He means O, nothing”, boink

so in the grand finale what do u need, what do u sought?
do we need each other, do we need God?

ricky nelson croons,
no man is an island
and i need u, honest i do

and america swoons,
i need u like the flower needs the rain
u know i need u, guess i’ll start it all again
u know i need u like the winter needs the spring
u know i need u

engelbert humperdinck soared
on 1968 billboard
everyday i wake up, then i start to break up
lonely is a man without love, knowing that it’s cloudy above
everyday i start out, then i cry my heart out
lonely is a man without love

and percy sledge
when a man loves a woman
can’t keep his mind on nothing else
he’d trade the world for the good thing he’s found
percy’s pledge is indeed profound

what about when God loves man, the world around?
in john 3:16, hard-to-comprehend love is abound
for God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son
that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life
1 john 4:11-12 since God so loved us, we ought to love one another
if we love one another, God is in us and His love is made complete in us

heartburns and heartaches no longer to strive?
i’m pickin up good vibrations
He’s givin me excitations
ah my my what elation
ah my my what a sensation
i need Him like an abalone fisherman needs to seek and dive

alexander borodin strains from “prince igor”
better known as “strangers in paradise” musical lore
kept humming in mind as brian imparted teaching today
exodus 22:18-27 on “because you were strangers in a strange land” play
sorcery, beastiality and idolatry to stay away
though we may be strangers, we can discipline ourselves shalom to display
deacon bill harman’s stories captured how divine love we can spray

last week jonathan lamb imparted revelations seven
linking richard sibbes’ heaven in us before we are in heaven
that God’s family and gospel is global, His glory is due
if heaven is in us, we will know what on earth to do

strangers in the night
exchanging glances
wondering each other’s might
what were the chances
we’d be sharing love
approved by up above

strangers in the night
two lonely people
two strangers to sight
up to the moment
when we said hello
little did we know
love was just a glance away
a warm embracing polovtsian sway

ever since He came into my heart
it’s not about me but the God in me to impart

yesterday’s gleanings from a “career” management workshop
a couple of tips gained to polish one’s reputation knob
career stems from “carraria”, its medieval latin root
meaning road for vehicles, aha..a path in life to boot and toot

5 p’s encompasses instructor alan vengel gist
person – who are u, your values, skills and interest list
perspective – but what really matters is who u are in others’ eyes
for u see, therein the relative truth lies and survives
place – are u in the groove for what might happen in the future
are u ahead of the curve, to anticipate career change to suture
possibilities – consider maneuvers, what are the options galore
et voila they are: vertical, lateral, enrichment, re-alignment, explore
plan – pick your choice, figure next steps, then sell and implore

to work this morning, 770am blasting as i careen
spake pastor david jeremiah, the 5 c’s how fruitful a life is determined
character is cornerstone of who u are, exemplified by fruit u bear
conduct is how u behave, what u do, build and tear
contribution is what u give, how u care
conversation – what u say could soothe or open wounds bare
converts – are u planting seeds, a difference make, dare to spare?

i can’t see nobody…no, i can’t see nobody
mine eyes can only look at you…you
i used to have a brain blinded by love forlorn
i can see clearly now, the brain is gone

there’s a story with a moral
that pinged my inbox choral
entitled “life is a gift”
after reading, your heart might shift

there was a blind girl who hated herself
because she was blind and in self-pity delved
she hated everyone except one friend
a loving boy, always-there, her to tend

if only she could see the world
she declared she would marry him bold
one day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her
suddenly her world was no longer blur

her boyfriend asked, now that u can see the world
will you marry me, my beloved girl
the girl was shocked when she saw her boyfriend is blind
and refused to marry him, it reminded of her former kind

her boyfriend walked away in tears, it was visually clear
later wrote her saying “just take care of my eyes, dear”

for your eyes only, can see me through the night
for your eyes only, i never need to hide
you can see so much in me, so much in me that’s new
i never felt until i looked at you
for your love only….

today before u think of saying an unkind word
think of someone who can’t speak and be heard
before u complain about the taste of your food
think of someone who has nothing to eat good

before u complain about life’s tavern
think of someone who went too early to heaven
before u complain about your children
think of someone who desires children but is barren

before u argue about your dirty house, someone didn’t clean or sweep
think of the people living off the street, their dignity to keep
before whining about the distance u drive someone to meet
think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet

and when you’re tired and complain about your job
think of the unemployed, the disabled and those who wished they had your job to mob
before u think of pointing your finger or condemning another
remember not one of us is without sin and we all answer to 1 Maker
and when depressing thoughts seem to get you down
put a smile on your face and thank God you’re alive and still around

a story of rose appeared in my e-mailbox yesterday
content of which i share its pearly ray
to ponder on growing old vs growing up
life is what you choose, what and how you sup

first day of school, the professor challenged us
get to know someone, to quench our thirst
i stood up and looked around
a gentle hand upon my shoulder found

a wrinkled, little old lady beamed at me
her smile lighting up her entire being like shiny sea
hi handsome, my name is rose and i am 87 years old
can i give you a hug bold, you to behold

of course you may, and a giant squeeze rippled through my cartilage
why are you in college, at such young, innocent age?
i’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, have a couple of kids, she joshed
i always dreamed of having a college education, now getting one, of course!

after class, to student union building we walked to share a milkshake
instant friends we became, everyday mesmerizing conversations make
a “time machine” she shared her wisdom, experience and friendship spread dear
rose became a campus icon over course of the year

she loved to dress up and reveled in attention bestowed by all
she was living it up and having a ball
at semester end, rose was invited to speak at our football banquet
as she stepped up to the podium, her 3×5 cues dropped which stirred a racquet

frustrated and embarassed, she apologized
i gave up beer for lent, oh this whiskey is killing me, my jitters dramatized
i’ll never get my speech in order, so
just let me tell you what i know, off the cuff i go
we do not stop playing because we are old
we grow old because we stop playing, she told

there are 4 secrets to staying young, being happy and achieving success
you have to laugh and find humor everyday, in life to caress
you’ve got to have dreams, fill your life to the brim
cos’ when you lose your dreams, you die – she beamed
we have so many people walking around who are dead and don’t even know it
there is a huge difference between growing older and growing up, she lit

if you are 19 years old and lie in bed for 1 full year
and not do one productive thing, you’ll turn 20 years old, my dear
if i am 87 years old, just stay in bed and never do anything
a year later, 88 years old i ring

anybody can grow older, it doesn’t take talent or ability
the idea is to grow up and always find in change, opportunity
the elderly usually have no regrets for what they did
but rather for things they did not do, kid
for you see, the only people who fear death are those with regrets
concluding her speech, she sang “the rose” for us to place our life bets

at year’s end, rose finished the college degree she begun all those years ago
one week after graduation peacefully in her sleep, rose gave up her mojo
over 2000 college students attended her funeral
in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example
that it’s never too late to be all you can possibly be
that’s all you need to earn life degree

these words, in loving memory of rose, to live life optimal
growing older is mandatory; growing up is optional
we make a living by what we get
we make a life by what we give, you bet

God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage
if God brings you to it, He will bring you through it, is the message

bette midler sings:
some say love, it is a river
that drowns the tender reed
some say love, it is a razor
that leaves your soul to bleed
some say love, it is a hunger
an endless, aching need
i say love, it is a flower
and you, its only seed

it’s the heart afraid of breaking
that never learns to dance
it’s the dream afraid of waking
that never takes the chance
it’s the one who won’t be taken
who cannot seem to give
and the soul, afraid of dying
that never learns to live

when the night has been too lonely
and the road has been too long
and you think that love is only
for the lucky and the strong

just remember in the winter
far beneath the bitter snows
lies the seed that with the sun’s love
in the spring, becomes the rose