Arlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson for January 28, 2024

Always the poet! 8^ )

Good revision. All we need is a star to steer it by.

From Wikipedia: John Edward Masefield (1 June 1878 – 12 May 1967) was an English poet and writer, and Poet Laureate from 1930 until 1967. Among his best known works are the children’s novels The Midnight Folk and The Box of Delights, and the poems “The Everlasting Mercy” and “Sea-Fever”.

“I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky; and all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by.”

“There are few earthly things more beautiful than a university a place where those who hate ignorance may strive to know, where those who perceive truth may strive to make others see.”

“Poetry is a mixture of common sense, which not all have, with an uncommon sense, which very few have.”

A1A is an excellent choice to drink it by! Thanks for the nod to Jimmy! I’m getting psyched up for a trip to Indiana, of all places, to catch Mac in concert.

Amazing Moment!

I myself love Fall and Winter. I know I am in a minority (and not the only thing I am in the minority of).

Break out the grill!!!

My goodness, I think you’ve surpassed yourself Jimmy!

Most excellent good, i’faith.

Five stars! * * * * *

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tideIs a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.

Took me a minute to remember this

Cabin Fever is real…first we had a week of below freezing and two snow storms in the same week. Now that temperatures have risen we’re getting rain almost everyday. I haven’t been out to walk my dog in two weeks and I do have cabin fever. I need the sun to shine more than a hour and temps to be nice without rain. Plus we still have to get through February and March.

Wonderful!

Well done, combining a bit of Jimmy Buffett with Masefield’s poetry.

The tree squirrels are not playing!

What’s an A1A?

Ah, Jimmy me lad. Y’all done real good today.

I love the changing of the seasons, I could never live in a climate that never changes like Florida or Arizona. Winter is fun and a pain, but so is Summer sometimes, life is good when you have all four seasons, did I mention I love Snowmobiling, Cross Country Skiing, Ice Skating. Living where I live is the best of both worlds as far as I’m concerned.

British composer John Ireland did a beautiful setting of the original poem. I was compelled to sing through your version. Thank you.

William Topley put this to music on his album Sea Fever

I must go down to the surf again, to the rolling waves on the fly, all I ask is a RonJon board and a skeg to steer it by….

I think Masefield would be fine, even laugh heartily at the braying wrens…

I’m sure I’m missing the obvious here. But what is the “A1A” reference? Thanks.

All things in their season

I have cabin fever….BAAADD!!

In St Louis, the sun hasn’t shown for more than a few minutes at a time for 2-3 weeks, the soil is soggy and there’s fog when the sun does come out to pull all the moisture out of it. The idea of sinking my hands into a nice warm flower bed brings me close to tears.

I grill out about 3 times a week year round. I’ve grilled in tropical storms and when tornado sirens are screaming. Couple of weeks ago I brushed 6 inches of snow off my grill and cooked steaks in 10 degree weather. We just moved from a condo where I had a balcony that I grilled and hung out on for 20 years. It was wonderful but I needed outdoor space. We moved into a house a few months ago and have a nice backyard, patio and screened in patio. I’m outside, don’t care what season or weather is like.

If I go out, it’s usually to rake……

Good thing you didn’t parody Masefield’s “Cargoes,” which begins, “ Quinquireme of Nineveh from distant Ophir.”

Indeed

The Masefield poem is titled “Sea Fever.”

I have often said that my only two nominees for Greatest American Poet would be Robert Hunter and Townes Van Zandt – but I think there has to be an Honorable Mention there for JJ and Bill Watterson.

Perfection…

Everyone remembers that one short phrase from the poem. Thanks to the Internet, the rest of the poem can be swiftly resurrected. Probably the best a dead and forgotten poet can hope for.

https://www.nationalpoetrylibrary.Org.Uk/online-poetry/poems/sea-fever#

Thanks for the introduction to this poet! I especially liked "The Ship and Her Makers”. Brilliant!

Wrens bray?

That is a really good reworking of that poem! (I’m forgiving the meter break in the A1A line because, after all, some things are necessary.)

Not a soul mentioned Arlo drooling.

I must go down to the sea again, To the sight of the ocean tide.Tis a keen sight and a green sight,Thanks to the plastic mixed inside.And all I ask is a hungry shark,Whose meat diet has been skimpy.And a bloody leg and a carefree friend,Who’ll laugh and call me “gimpy.”

Ah, “Sea Fever”

JJ: May you and all of us who have a laughing mellow lover keep that person next to us for a long, long time.

Just the mere thought of losing my wife fills my whole being with great sadness.

When I was on my own during the week I would go out to clients 2 or 3 days a week, one day for food shopping, get the house cleaning done the other 1 to 2 days and then had weekends/vacations with husband.

When he quit his job the agreement was that he would do what he wanted and I would do same M-F and still be together on weekends. Then the gasoline prices went crazy (in the 1990s) and he pointed out that it made no sense for me to drive to the supermarket and him to drive separately to the Home Depot in the same shopping center. It was the downfall of my life. I have become the old lady whose husband drives everywhere and does not do things alone who I always swore I would not be. (Exception being I go once a month to my embroidery club and drive there and back and once ditto to a client in NYC.) When Covid hit – I did not go to clients (they mailed me their info) and my club did not meet – so he did all the driving except when we have to take the RV somewhere for annual work I drove same and he drove the car so we could leave it as he is afraid to drive the RV alone – our regular mechanic is 3 blocks away and we can walk there or back when picking up or dropping off a vehicle.

I got called for jury duty last year. He had me go out and drive around the neighborhood as we were both so worried about me driving alone. I have started back to my club meeting on my own.

The last “Arlo & Janis” carried by The Tennessean… :(

I too am growing older and prone to wistfulness. Cranky too.