I’m on my grateful wings for being featured today. I did try to write a parody, and I’m sure Joan Baez wouldn’t mind it as she is one humorous lady, but it turned out rather… nostalgic.

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Prompt 26: “Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a parody. Besides being fun, writing parodies can be a great way to hone your poetic skills – particularly your sense of rhyme and sound, as you try to mimic the form of an existing poem while changing the content.“

Thank you, NaPoWriMo, from the heart for featuring me! I still find it hard to believe that Maureen Thorson does it all by herself. Superwoman!

And this is a poem by and for another such. In case you don’t know the song, let’s hear Joan Baez sing it first. And yes, she wrote it about Bob Dylan.

I accompanied the original line by line and took a verse or two from it (in italics), but I really didn’t try to mimic it. Rather, I just rolled with it and this happened. Also, for now my WordPress trouble seems fixed.

Diamonds or bust

Well I’ll be damned,
I’m being featured today!
That’s certainly unusual,
it’s just that the moon is full (tomorrow)
and she happens to like my poem.
And here I sit,
WordPress playing tricks on me,	
I cannot like any post,
the dog threw up again
and I sucked at my cards.

Then I remember we’re yellow
and I can go anywhere I want.
But my feet are in so much pain
that I’ll just stay at home instead
and watch a series or two.

Thirty-five years ago
Chernobyl had a little leak 
and people still flock there.
We both know what memories can bring,
they bring radiation dust.

When you burst on the scene,
the issues were different.
The unwashed phenomenon
- what you had to bear! - 
went well with your wits.
And here you’ve stayed,
not even temporarily lost,
I see you on Facebook,
still singing and painting
and dancing with your granddaughter. 

Now I see you standing on that stage
as I saw you for the very first time
in that floral dress.
Then I saw you again 
in our crummy Tivoli hall
with snow in your hair.
We all sang with you, cried, clapped
and laughed at your jokes.
Speaking strictly for me,
without you here we’d all be much less.

Now you’re telling me
don’t wax nostalgic.
The world is a wholly new beast now.
His good and vague words
have even got him a Nobel.
Because we all need some of that nobility now
or it all ends up, clearly,
yes, I love you dearly,
and I know what you’d say to this now:
I take the diamonds.*

* When Joan Baez got older and wiser (ha!), instead of the original:

And if you’re offering me diamonds and rust
I’ve already paid,

in concerts she has been known to change the last verse to “I take the diamonds.”

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In photos my Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, for New Year’s Eve 2013 and around it, when amore came to visit it for the first time.

We stroll through Park Tivoli with the concert, basketball and ice-hockey hall (not in any photo, shame on me, but it’s really quite ugly) where I heard Joan Baez sing twice, in 1989 and 2007. Then we pass the Ljubljanica river and climb the castle. We could take the funicular but I “forgot” to mention it to amore so we walked instead and he is still (teasingly) moaning about it.

Imagine that you are a man from Rome who has come to a land far away (well, about 777 km) to snatch their woman, and keep her.

For:

This day in my NaPoWriMo history (2019): 

It's looking up 

It’s 33 years since the Chernobyl today. 
Chose that night to roll on the grass.
Must not think bad thoughts.

There was fire in Rome in the night.
Trash was burning and the air was sick.
Must not think bad thoughts.

The trick is to go on, even when it appeals
to coil in the shower.
Must not think bad thoughts.

Nature does not ask questions,
nature understands. Stands under. Standstill.  
Must not think bad thoughts.

Look up, look up to, look forward.  
The second album is the most difficult.
Must not think bad thoughts.  

- Thought bad.
- Think not!  
- Must.

One other post from this day is worth reading in full:

2020 almanac questionnaire: In the poem I state my choices but you need to see the questions too.