Someday My Bus Will Come (from 2007)

I thought I’d catch the bus today
To travel out to Lyall Bay
And to hear the band Fat Freddy’s Drop
So I walked up to the stop.

I saw no bus and looked around
Unhappiness was what I found.
The schedule said, “Yes,”
But the facts said, “No.”
Walking was the way to go.

I wonder sev’ral times a week,
“Should I apply a new technique
Or keep buying a monthly card
Knowing buses my trip will retard?”

My stance is pro-environment
Good citizens I represent
When I travel by bus or train

Flushing timeliness down the drain.

Jealousy (based on Billy Joel's Honesty)

Coveting affection
That isn't mine to get
Could be quite an unrewarding aim
But when I change direction
I see without regret
That this guy will never feel the same


Jealousy inhibits the sublime
And makes me a dependent pawn
Jealousy is such a waste of time
It holds me back from moving on

When I'm unproductive,
Feeling uninspired
I try to find a reason for the mood
And since it's not constructive
To hang around this tired
I'll drop my detrimental attitude

Jealousy inhibits the sublime
And makes me a dependent pawn
Jealousy is such a waste of time
It holds me back from moving on

Bassists' Bane (from 2007)

Could you lend me a hand?
I just have one request
My recital will be SO amazing.
Students singing along, teachers praising
So, would you play in my band?
I'm only askin' the best!

I've arranged 'My Romance'
It's mostly in 3/4
Next I thought that you could
'Take the A Train'
'Cry Me a River' and then
Travel through 'Spain'
'Fever'-ish with a glance
I'll 'Wave' to you from the shore!

-Oh, and 'Au Privave' by "Bird"
I sing it in B (at 260)
Also, 'Summertime'
Man, what a classic!
"Different era," you say?
What's "Jurassic"?
Well, if you can make the 3rd
Let's start rehearsing at 3...

Half the battle (Couplets written in 2001 for Jonno K)

"Love bites, love bleeds

It's bringin' me to my knees

Love lives, love dies

It's no surprise" -- Def Leppard

With a penchant for jocks
she happily grapples

To avoid mental blocks
she hangs out in chapels

A playful paradox

a pair of ducks dapples

She tears open a box

of bright orange apples

My current insecurity grows from what Robert Fulghum beautifully describes as the ability to see two contradictory points of view quite clearly and the lack of ability to figure out whether everything or nothing I do matters. I could be both too young and too old, too good and too mediocre, too well-off and too broke, too happy by myself and too lonely, too intellectual and too creative, too selfless and too selfish. I know I like skating, dancing, singing and blogging; my doing them doesn't seem to hurt anyone. I may have to let that be enough for now. After all, Robert also says it's humor that helps him break through the inertia when he's feeling stuck.

Heaven forbid I compose anything new!

I feel so exposed, so unprepared. OK, yeah, I can edit as I go (and I have, already).

I'm totally jazzed by this blogging world. I can't believe it's taken me this long to become a part of it!

Truth be told, I was prompted to action by a kid who inspired me with his intelligent and insightful writing. Effortless. That's his whole style, as far as I can tell. Now, three short days later, I'm behind on sleep and wondering how long I can keep this up with any consistency. While I'm speculating, I'll also throw out that I'd love to know when I might not care as much about trying to be that kid's friend, somehow. Tomorrow? Next month? 2011?

Quiero practicar mi Español. Pienso que podría hacer algo que ayudaría mucha gente si pudiera hablar más fluentemente, pero yo no sé que es, todavía. Me gustaría estar lista.

I wouldn't complain one bit if my spending this time venting to the World Wide Web sparked the flame that powered my next leap of faith, though.

Arohanui ki a koutou, WWW. I guess I'd like to speak better Māori, too.

Go well, Loser

If you can let yourself go

Couldn't you let yourself stay?

It isn't easy, I know

Temptation gets in the way

But if you let yourself stop

Before things get too bad

You'd find the courage to drop

The negative habits you had.

If you took a look about, you would soon figure out

That you're far from alone in this pursuit

As you travel through each day, many options you weigh

Can leave you feeling obtuse or looking acute.

See ev'ry choice as a game

You win each time you say,

"I could let myself go

But I think I'll let myself stay."

Ode to "Princess Syd" (from 2008)

[Can be sung to the tune of The Beverly Hillbillies]

Let me tell you a story ‘bout a squid I know
Where she likes to live is in the sea below.
No person yet has seen her swimmin’ free
But to sperm whales she is a predatee.
(-Meal, that is. They slurp her up, beak and all!)

Now, if she were to sense a sperm whale’s glare
She could do a trick to get away from there.
She’d fill up her mantle with water from the sea
And send it out her funnel to shoot backward, rapidly.
(-Quick, that is! Off she’d go, in a flash.)

[And to the tune of Rocky Top]

Here are a few more Colossal facts:
She has tentacles, too.
Hooks sink into each fish she attacks
With her beak she bites through.

Special organs in her eyes
-Headlights in disguise!
Good ole’ Princess Syd
Our Colossal Squid
She’s Te Papa’s big squid.