on a winters night

"vacate these premises immediately, miss. your behavior is quite beyond the pale"
outside, the wind howled.
"ok, luv,"

twilight

"forget you ever knew me, francesca - and as for your unhappy mother - "
the count began to weep.
"haven't we been through this before, father? really, i expected better of you. "

"where is villa headed now, captain?"

"xahualtepec"

day of reckoning

"forget you ever knew me, frederick. i'm afraid that is the best advice i can give you.'
"but what about all the things i bought you - the diamonds, the dresses, the country estates?"
"i am afraid that is between you and your barrister."
"please let me off."

8 poems

there was a young man from peru
who never knew what to do
when his shoes were untied
his smile was wide
and his eyes were celestially blue

there was a young maid from malay
whose behavior was quite outre
the townsfolk requested
that she be arrested
when she promenaded on the quay

during the sack of rome
attila decided to go home
to his men around a bonfire
he said, fellows i've decided to retire
there is something buzzing in my dome

there was a young man named mcgoof
who climbed on the courthouse roof
a cannon was trained
on his palpitating brain
and he disappeared with a poof

there was a young man from spain
with a throbbing jugular vein
when he got excited
his brain ignited
and his ears shot out purple flame

there was a young maid from bolivia
with the right proper name of olivia
when a highwayman approached
and on her carriage encroached
she said i'm sorry i've got nothing to give ya

a young man from asbury park
went to china on a lark
he caused an international incident
by enquiring where his napkin went
at a picnic in the emperors park

a young man from sunny mt pleasant
received a motor car for a christmas present
he took to the road
in a boisterous mode
and slaughtered a few dozen peasants

the messenger

"mr forthwaite is here, minister.'"
'ah yes, show him in."
mr forthwaite was short and round, and carried a small flat briefcase.
"well, what do we have today, sir, more doom and gloom?"

the dismissal

"no doubt, pemberton, no doubt you thought you were doing the right thing. but that doesn't change the fact that the crisis hasn't been averted. "
the home secretary tapped the memorandum with his pencil.
"please be on the next train."

tears of a tyrant

king nebuchadnezzar sat on his throne
all his so-called friends were gone
as he sat there all alone
he began to weep and moan

suddenly a ghost appeared
with a visage to be feared
and eyes of stone
"o weep and moan!"

willie and the cole slaw

"what?", exclaimed willie, as he stared into his plate of cole slaw.

the assignation

after the ball was over, prince adelbert and the duc d'olanne met at the front gate.
torches flared in the hands of the royal pages.
"we will meet again, duc,"
"yes, on the floor of the arena."