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Halifax

Getting Over the Moon

Halifax

Getting Over the Moon
{Nica’s Bird}
by halifax
The Dish ran away with the Spoon
Both are in her apartment to cohabit
She got all the horns and legs unlocked,
Out–of-hock, gave them back to him.
His bright round blast blows “Sister, why you try so hard?”
Calls out to sleepy blue boys “There’s nothing but deception here.”
Resting deep in shade “You’ve got to know your instrument”
Beside candescent worlds. “That’s what we all wanted.”
The rising tone stirs them."Blow man, blow."
Sharp dogs trot into his canteenHumming men in cummerbunds
Laughing, in new sport coatsStroll past after hours
They’ve stolen or soon will be To quieter, dimmer places
Maybe by the hatcheck girl With cue sticks in hand
Who checks them out To fight another day
With matched cigarettes, and jam the night away.
Ovals in the good shoes Cracking worlds to pocket
To the hand-rolls in spats. Leaving last the black and white
Lights come down to meet him, The handsome zephyr suit
Abstracting the shine off the fifth.Brass sleeves stretch out to the man’s hands gifting a permanent curve.
Ancient Babylonia spoke
Just like him, from his tongue
In spires of reaching ziggurats
Of sound to Dish, his rich honey pot.
She gives him love in dress-socks.
She loved the moon once too.
The tide and her got over that.
Sugar dates walk a rug, stowing
Moldy figs in a hidden lap-napkin.
Sheet cats on violins stroke nerves
Busking those wares upon snares
Gathered round in bentwood chairs.
Solomon comes and whispers
In the ear of his mistress
“Hey, did he or did he not
Just explain a riddle?
Get over the moon girl.”
She whips her eyelashes at him
And cracks a smile, then answers sidewise,
“Just sounds like noise to me.”

0 thoughts on “Getting Over the Moon”

  1. Hey diddle diddle…i drew some blanks on ‘Margerie Meantwell'(nursery rhyme with its symbology to personal experience, perhaps?) but got more of a feeling out of ‘Getting Over the Moon’ which mostly i got impression of it being a nursery rhyme (‘The Cow jumped over the Moon’)retold in the context of modern elopement and love.
    …all written to the soothing Light Jazz Flute music of Wendy Zoffer…in particular the song ‘Nica’s Dream’ from the album ‘Bird of Beauty’ ? {Nica’s Bird} ? ahh, you slay me…in a beautiful and witty way, and i am soothingly delighted.
    I also detected nursery rhymes ‘Little boy blue’ and ‘Solomon Grundy’ in poem…impressive interweaving.
    There are references to dogs and cats in poem which receive mention in the nursery rhyme though the part on the dogs and the secret poem found to the side upon drag highlighting reminds me of the pop art tapestrie of dog’s playing pool…any credence? The secret part i read as being an aside that alludes to main body and corresponding line juxtaposed. ..dialogue written in sort of ‘colored folk’ vernacular but part after is same tone/language as main body and could even be read as an extra stanza coming after one next to instead of a poetic aside…either way, i like the use of technology here to create a truly fresh, innovative, and original vehicle of expression {and perception by reader}.
    6th stanza Babylonian section, ‘Dish’ seems to take on dual-meaning going back to character in nursery rhyme and alluding to ‘Dish satelite’ …sounds contrasting from ancient to the ‘now’–showcasing continuity of human dilemma or at least that some things remain the same, maybe? …that dealing with love is always difficult like opening a can of worms.
    Latter part of poem switches from his to her perspective ending with apparent heartache and truth sandwich. Until you see the secret poem which actually ends poem with a reversal of interpretation: “She whips here eyelashes at him and cracks a smile, then answers sidewise, ‘Just sounds like noise to me.'” …which one would think to be some evidence that she has moved on and is over the moon. This is where title comes into play…with duality again…1. getting over the moon literally from the nursery rhyme, and 2. getting over the moon as a lover.
    Ring around the rosies, Henry Tudor leans over and inquires: “Yo dude, did you just explain a riddle?” ‘Yeah man, not so great, but yeah…just remember that polygamy leads to alimony…or a dull axe.’

  6. As for the C.M. Coolidge “Dogs Playing Pool” reference, it wasn’t conscious but I’ll claim it because it sets the period and fits with the lifestyle of the characters being painted in that stanza.

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