.

Bluer Skies

after Ogden Nash

Spring ain’t sprung, the grass ain’t growed,
The fields ain’t fit for man nor toad.
They tell us that the world is warmin’,
‘Pears to me the world is stormin’.

Snow ‘n’ rain ‘n’ wind a’ blowin’,
Local rivers overflowin’,
Global warmin’ diagnosed
Yet fingers, toes and noses frozed.

Spring ain’t sprung, the flowers ain’t bloomin’,
Hurricanes, tornadoes loomin’.
Temperatures are downright freezin’,
People sickly, coughin’, sneezin’.

Spring ain’t sprung, the grass ain’t riz.
This ain’t what global warmin’ is.
The boids have left for bluer skies.
Have we been told a pack o’ lies?

I’m thinkin’ global coolin’ is
The reason that the grass ain’t riz.
I’m hopin’ spring will soon be springin’,
I miss the joyful boidies singin’.

.

.

A Little Bit of Magic

A fairy dropped her magic wand and down it fell,
Into a raindrop-dimpled pond it cast a spell.
And as it spilled its magic bubbles night and day,
All of misery and troubles passed away.

The bubbles magically spread so far and wide,
Across the living and the dead with no divide.
Some drifted upwards to the sky and traveled far,
On wings of dove and butterfly and shooting star.

To all four corners of the earth they spread their joy,
And filled them up with ample mirth each girl and boy.
Each man and woman, young or old was on the list,
Whose face was sad, whose heart was cold the bubbles kissed.

They entered in each empty soul that had grown bitter.
Their effervescence took control and painted glitter.
And suddenly there came romance where there was none,
And tired feet began to dance and faces shone.

The fairy flitted back and forth and here and there.
She travelled south, she travelled north, as light as air.
She watched and giggled from above and would not leave,
So full of joy to see the love the spell could weave.

So if one magic moonlit night you chance to hear,
A fairy giggling with delight, don’t think it queer.
She’s only percolating bubbles upon the water.
She’s soothing souls and solving troubles just like she oughta.

.

.

Norma Pain was born in Liverpool, England and now lives in Parksville, British Columbia, Canada. Thirty of Norma’s poems were published by Dana Literary Society, between 2004 and 2007 and she was twice nominated for the Pushcart Prize by that same on-line poetry site. She self-published a book of rhyme in 2000 called Bulging Assets.

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20 Responses

  1. jd

    Enjoyed both, Norma. Thank you. Being a “boid”
    lover myself, I could relate although a bird-feeder
    helps to keep them close. Love the global-warming
    digs too.

    Reply
  2. C.B. Anderson

    The former was gut-warmingly funny, Norma. The latter was, well, a little bit of magic.

    Reply
    • Norma Pain

      Thank you so much C.B. ‘Gut-warmingly funny’ is, well… gut-warming to me.

      Reply
  3. Brian Yapko

    Norma, both of these poems were a delightful gift to wake up to on a Sunday morning! I love your use of dialect in “Bluer Skies” and I’m enchanted by the fairytale exuberance of “A Bit of Magic.” It would make a superb children’s book.

    Reply
    • Norma Pain

      Thank you for your lovely comments Brian. I think perhaps we all need some magic to happen these days.

      Reply
  4. Joseph S. Salemi

    Finally, a taste of dialect poetry! I’ve been longing to read some here at the SCP. Thank you, Norma!

    Reply
  5. Jeff Eardley

    Norma, your muse has returned and haven’t we missed you. I love the dialect twang of Bluer Skies and a Little bit of Magic is anything but. A lovely antidote to a very wet weekend over here. Thank you so much and look after those “boids”

    Reply
    • Norma Pain

      Just heading outside into the cold temperatures here, to feed the boids again.
      I wonder if they prefer the warm rain to the freezing cold, as do I. Thank you for commenting Jeff.

      Reply
  6. Susan Jarvis Bryant

    Norma, your poems are always a pleasure and a delight to read. They romp along with poetic aplomb and even if those “Bluer Skies” are filled with six more weeks of winter, I can feel your sunshine rhymes thawing the chill misery of global warming. I hope a fairy drops her magic wand in my pond… and if she doesn’t, I’ll read “A Little Bit of Magic” again, and all will be right with the world. Norma – you have brought joy to my sunless Sunday and for that I thank you!

    Reply
    • Norma Pain

      Susan, you have brought your warm and magic words into my cold Tuesday morning. Thank you so much.

      Reply
    • Norma Pain

      Thank you D.G. Is it global warmin’ or is it not? Does any human know for sure!

      Reply
  8. David Watt

    Norma, your two poems are like a breath of fresh air. Your first poem reminded me of C.J. Dennis’ slang, as well as the verse of Ogden Nash.
    The boids here have been loving the distinctly cooler summer, and the more regular rainfall. If this is global warming, I don’t mind at all.

    Reply
    • Norma Pain

      I have read Ogden Nash and enjoyed his writing very much. C.J. Dennis I will have to read up on. I don’t mind what the weather does as long as it does it warmly!!

      Reply
  9. Cheryl Corey

    Norma, “Bluer Skies” is delightful. You make writing in dialect appear effortless. In the second poem, line 11, I anticipated “Each man and woman”, not “women”.

    Reply
    • Norma Pain

      Cheryl, thank you so much for your comments, and also for catching my spelling mistake ‘women’. Yes, it was meant to be woman. I will ask Evan if he can possibly correct it for me.

      Reply
  10. Adam Wasem

    Thanks for the smile from “Bluer Skies.” It’s deceptively difficult to make a point with humor, and all while staying in character, too. Very nicely done.

    Reply

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