Badtux the Snarky Penguin

In a time of chimpanzees, I was a penguin.

Religious fundamentalists are motivated by the sneaking suspicion that someone, somewhere, is having fun -- and that this must be stopped.

Thursday, December 08, 2005

The day the last dreamer died

Note: Does not work so well as prose or poetry (it's lyrics to a song):

Once I had a dream I know
a dream a long long time ago
dreaming of a better world
a place where children learn and grow
where peace on earth was not a dream
and love, not war, was everything

But John Lennon is dead
and so is Martin Luther King
John F. Kennedy's dead and gone
and so is Bobby Kennedy
John Lennon is dead
and so is the dream
and so is the dream

So I survive every day
struggling to make my way
though streets filled with blood and hate
I pretend to like my fate
where have all the dreamers gone
gone to graveyards every one
but once I had a dream I know
a dream a long long time ago

But John Lennon is dead
and so is Martin Luther King
John F. Kennedy's dead and gone
and so is Bobby Kennedy
John Lennon is dead
and so is the dream
and so is the dream

John Lennon died 25 years ago today. Since then, we have been afraid to dream.

- Badtux the Saddened Penguin

Posted by: BadTux / 12/08/2005 01:47:00 PM

Comments:

What a lovely poem, and a nice surprise, I came here to lurk and maybe have a little laugh, but instead, a beautiful tribute to Lennon....thank you for that. I too wrote a little tribute to him, but it pales in comparison...( stop by http://watergatesummer.blogspot.com/)
# posted by enigma4ever : 8/12/05 4:22 PM

Thanks. Like I said, it's actually a song, or at least a fragment of one. I'm at the point where I don't do much songwriting anymore, and when I do, I mostly just fidgit. This one is one that I've been fidgiting with for some time, creating lyrics, forgetting lyrics, rewriting lyrics. Today I decided this was the right day to write the song, sat down with no reference to any of the previous versions, and just wrote.

The song in my head has a third verse (basically dealing with the appeal of Hate Radio in a landscape where dreams are small and shriveled things), but it is even darker, and I prefer not to go there on this day.

- Badtux the Songwriting Penguin
# posted by BadTux : 8/12/05 4:52 PM

Thanks for dropping by watergatesummer, the Entergy update was very helpful., I have not been to NOLA in about 20 years..I have a poem about NOLA that I would love to send you but I don't have your email....still like the song....gave you props over at my blog..hope others stop by....

( oh, and about the fuel issues- yup- oil and natural gas spiked again today..they are about to make lots of money....more money..more billions off our cold misery)
# posted by enigma4ever : 8/12/05 5:48 PM

The link on the right that says "MY EMAIL" might, err, be my EMAIL address (heh!).

- Badtux the Snarky Penguin
# posted by BadTux : 8/12/05 6:00 PM

Honor Roll

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Liberated Iraqis

Children celebrate liberation of parents
More pics of children celebrating
Liberated baby
Liberated women and children
More liberation, yessiree
More to follow, after I finish cursing SOB chickenhawks and get my breath back...

"Keep fighting for freedom and justice, beloveds, but don't forget to have fun doin' it. Lord, let your laughter ring forth. Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cats, rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce." -- Molly Ivins, 1944-2007

"The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men."

-- Plato

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