Monthly Archives: September 2017

Day 992: The Ballad of May West – Non-Limerick Lyrics. Verse 1

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After the night in the Leprechaun Hotel when she became a limericist, Laetitia has written hundreds of limericks.  She has also written lyrics set to public domain tunes that she and her cousins performed at Uncle Milt’s famous parties.  What follows is a set of lyrics she wrote about comedienne, Mae West, set to Antonin Dvorak’s Humoresque No. 7.  With a career that spanned much of the 20th Century, Mae West was a star of film and stage known for her witty repartee.  What follows is Verse 1 of The Ballad of May West.  Although not in limerick form, each verse will appear under the heading of “Limerick” in weekly posts.

The tune is Dvořák’s Humoresque
This is a song about burlesque
A comic style that flourished long ago
And of a woman who had fun
With double meaning and with pun
And battled with the censor’s toe to toe.

Day 991: Krakow

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Laetitia led a tour to Krakow, Poland.  It is a modern, vibrant city with lovely parks and market squares bustling with life.  Laetitia’s tour focused on the city’s UNESCO sites and other scenes exemplifying Krakow’s history and culture.  Oskar Schindler’s metal-stamping factory is there and is now a museum.  It portrays a grim period in the history of Poland and humankind with one bright spot.  Schindler was a Nazi with ethics who was able to save many of his mostly-Jewish employees from the Nazi death camps because they were making shell casings and mess kits for the war effort and because the corrupt Nazi establishment readily accepted bribes.

Poland is famous for its vodka so Laetitia ended the tour with a vodka tasting.

Now Poland exudes style and dash
And its markets and food have panache
And its vodka’s preferred
Where “nostrovia” is heard
In the land where the zloty is cash.

Day 990: Dairy Air

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On a road trip in the rural Midwest, did you ever arrive at a motel in an idyllic setting only to fine that it was downwind of a feedlot?  Laetitia did and it inspired this limerick.

As you drive ‘cross the prairie somewhere
And you seek a motel, please take care
That its locale is not
Downwind from a feed lot
‘Less you like the reek of dairy air.

Day 989: Santa Fe Opera 3

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On the third night of Laetitia’s Santa Fe Opera tour, the production was Handel’s Alcina.  It premiered at Covent Garden in London in 1735.  It’s a tale of sorcery and faithless love.  As is common with eighteenth century operas, it has beautiful music but not much action.  It has trouser roles (women playing male parts) one of which was written for a castrato, which were common in Handel’s day.  This was a French production livened by acrobats, sight gags, and shadow play.

Alcina done at Santa Fe
With acrobats and shadow play
And its magical lands
And sorceress red hands
Is a treat for the opera gourmet.