1. Drawings I Drew
Years ago, following a tradition that had been only a few years in the making, with the family gathered for the holidays, I prepared to recite some poetry. A new poem every year was the deal, and after that, folks could requests repeats from previous years.
That year, however, it came with a new twist: I had illustrated several drawings in the general theme of the poem that I intended to recite, and I proposed that the illustrations would go to the person that came closest to guessing the poem beforehand.
As I recall it, my brother guessed got “won”. But… what are you going to do with twelve of your brother’s drawings!? After a few years, they found their way back to me. And they’ve been boxed up ever since, surviving several moves, weathering the humidity of Houston and the heat of Central Texas, growing old along with their creator.
So here we are.
This morning, the Fair and Industrious Trudy announced that we were going to tackle the maelstrom that is our garage. There were empty boxes to recycle. There was camping gear to organize. There were many dried-up pens that got thrown out. There were crayons and colored pencils for the boy nextdoor. There were trips to the Goodwill. And in the process, I decided to scan a bunch of papers and get rid of the originals: certificates and awards and that sort of thing. And when I came across those pictures from that Christmas long ago, I decided to scan and toss them.
With that deed done and with the garage looking so good that Trudy wanted to dance out there, I present to you the poem and the drawings.
2. The Poem that Goes Along With Them
Poetry credit: The Space Child’s Mother Goose by Frederick Winsor.
This is the Theory Jack built.
This is the Flaw
That lay in the Theory Jack built.
This is the Mummery
Hiding the Flaw
That lay in the Theory Jack built.
This is the Summary
Based on the Mummery
Hiding the Flaw
That lay in the Theory Jack built.
This is the Constant K
That saved the Summary
Based on the Mummery
Hiding the Flaw
That lay in the Theory Jack built.
This is the Erudite Verbal Haze
Cloaking Constant K
That saved the Summary
Based on the Mummery
Hiding the Flaw
That lay in the Theory Jack built.
This is the Turn of a Plausible Phrase
That thickened the Erudite Verbal Haze
Cloaking Constant K
The saved the Summary
Based on the Mummery
Hiding the Flaw
That lay in the Theory Jack built.
This is Chaotic Confusion and Bluff
That hung on the Turn of a Plausible Phrase
That thickened the Erudite Verbal Haze
Cloaking Constant K
That saved the Summary
Based on the Mummery
Hiding the Flaw
That lay in the Theory Jack built.
This is the Cybernetics and Stuff
That covered Chaotic Confusion and Bluff
That hung on the Turn of a Plausible Phrase
And thickened the Erudite Verbal Haze
Cloaking Constant K
That saved the Summary
Based on the Mummery
Hiding the Flaw
That lay in the Theory Jack built.
This is the Button to Start the Machine
To make with the Cybernetics and Stuff
To cover Chaotic Confusion and Bluff
That hung on the Turn of a Plausible Phrase
And thickened the Erudite Verbal Haze
Cloaking Constant K
That saved the Summary
Based on the Mummery
Hiding the Flaw
That lay in the Theory Jack built.
[When I recited the poem, at this point I stood up and pointed to myself.]
This is the Space Child with Brow Serene
Who pushed the Button to Start the Machine
That made with the Cybernetics and Stuff
Without Confusion, exposing the Bluff
That hung on the Turn of a Plausible Phrase
And shredding the Erudite Verbal Haze
Clocking Constant K
Wrecked the Summary
Based on the Mummery
Hiding the Flaw
And Demolished the Theory Jack built.
