New Year’s at Jackie’s
(Part 1)
by F. Jammes

The senses’ and the mind’s release,
Betrayal of commodities:
Guitar played, record heard,
Coffee, painting, spoken word—
All rebel, our culture’s ease
Plunges into lurid night.

The supermarket of great height,
The church that shines fluorescent light
Into certain empty lives
Now reveals its hidden side,
Swarming presence, moonlit fight
In the dark department store.

Bottle-rockets, bats, and something more
Bring them alive to the fourth floor,
It is their minds, though they doubt;
Their hearts, though the power’s out—
Fiend behind the office door,
You can’t keep them from their friend.

Recall this, and how at the end
With all her heart the world to mend
She prayed, and it was given her;
For the Earth is our Mother.
When we play, the world we mend
Is our own, and no other.

Geldegarde Monotoli: Kid, you’re snoshed! Why are you crying when you tell a happy story?
Captain Strong: The eggnog fills up your belly and the emotions get pushed out your face: tears and snot. Take it easy now, kid.
Electra the Maid: Oh! I recognize him!
The others: Us too. Don’t spoil it.
Electra: …Okay. Well, if he’s going to sit there blubbering, somebody else better sing. Hey Toto Sailor, give us a sea shanty!
Toto Sailor: Oh no, I couldn’t. If my wife found out I’d never hear the end of it.
Others: A song! A sea shanty! C’mon, it’s a party!

Me bosom chum sat in his room
And thought about nothing till soon
Some kids that were nearing
Me in my gold earring
Brought me friend by the light o’ the moon.

Toto Sailor: …Wait, sorry, I got that all mixed up. Let me try again.
Others: No way! Was that a baritone or did a Gruff Goat start bleating?
Man with the gold tooth and one eyebrow: I’m telling your wife!
Man from Onett Library: I wonder if she’s stronger than my wife.
Toto Sailor: Oh boy. No more magic cake for me…
Electra: All right, let me sing awhile. I’ll stand on the table, go ahead and stare at my hips.
Others: Woo! Catcall!

Let me tell you, boys, of my many loves,
The great and the small, I’ll tell you them all,
Oh I’ll tell you my boys of my loves:

Of Talah Rama I met in the cave:
How I fed him trout yogurt but his monkeys were hurt;
Still I use his wet towels that I've saved;

And of the Runaway in the red shirt:
When I forgot his name things were never the same;
Still I sigh when I see a red shirt;

Of my sweet Clumsy Robot; let me claim
That he made the best bologna, and when he was showin’ ya
It sure made you want to exclaim—

Strong: All right, that’s about enough of that, I think.
Man from Monotoli Building lobby: Gasp. I think I need to play solitaire, uh, to sharpen my skills for the tournament, you know?
Electra: Hey, take me along, we can play together.
Man from Monotoli Building lobby: Um. Do you know what solitaire is?
Others: This is a partay! Cards! Wassail! Women, or men if you’re a lady or if you just whatever that’s cool too! Who’s next?
Everdred: I’ll sing you a woozy song, once we’ve locked horns.
Strong: Ouch. Did you just bite me?

There are two haiku:
Of Sebastian, of locking.
Treat them burp both nice.

Others: …Is that it? (On second thought, he’s scary)—Yeah! Woo! Haiku!
Strong: You jerk, why would you bite a man in shades? I’m gonna roadblock your hippie commune so fast…and then I’ll sic Frank on you.
Frank: I’m ’a cut you…That’s what I would say to maintain my super-cool persona, but actually I enjoy tea and green leafy vegetables.
Jackie: Easy fellas. You got a problem, you can take it outside.
Monotoli: Ah, New Year’s. The coffee is flowing and people are turning into idiots all on their own. Who needs golden statues or Giygases, eh kid?
Pokey: …

Hear this, but know: it is no end.
Under the jokes, around every bend
More careful attention
Discerns the real tension;
Is the prayer the last thing?
Did the stone need to sing?
Or do we make and we play
That we may find some way
Some means to an end
And that end is to say
What the day and the night may portend?