Tennessee Rockin' Horse

Written
1994

 We hear you are building a new home

       in Tennessee or someplace like that.

Sort of an Ark to be used when

       California falls into the sea

        of red ink.

Whatever else, build lots

       of closets for your sweaters

      and wall space for Kitty's art.

And be sure there is a big veranda where

        you can sit on your

       Tennessee Rockin' horse

       or have that waltz.

Have that veranda face west

       so you can pick up the blues

      on the Memphis winds.

In that Magnolia shaded spot

       you can sit someday

       and watch the

      sun set in the west.

You can say goodnight

       to 

Davis by lifting  your glass of

      Cumberland moonshine

       sippin' juice.

And the geography

        you left behind will

        make the move east much easier.  

Believe us the land

         of Elvis, Davy and York

         is better haunted than California

         with its Marilyn and John Wayne.

Scopes,

         another famous Tennessee ghost,

         beat the Creationist rap in '29

       and made Tennessee

       safe for scientists.

Perhaps you could

        leave California

        as a political refugee.

We could testify

        that our climate

       is not too safe these days.

But most of all,

       as you and Kitty sit and rock

       remember that

       somewhere out here are

       the friends you left behind.

So maybe you should get

        an extra rockin' horse

      and a spare bedroom

       for California casualties.

Any place in Nashville

        for your colleagues?

We  sing, act, dance, tell terrible jokes

         and write bad poetry

        in addition 

         to all our regular professional skills.

And you know

        what great cooks we are!

In addition,

    we have silly hats

       with price tags showing, 

       bib overalls

       and corn cob pipes.

Surely, you can find

        a place for us in

        CW land.

For what value is

        an Ark if there is

        no fodder for

         the animals saved?

Hurry and get it ready

        for we are Nashville

       or whereever bound.

Last one out

        will turn out the lights.  

 

Notes
qeitten as a good bye message to Dean Don Curry as he left UC Davis