Turn Yourself Around
Country hick
peace-nic
red, white, or blue neck
yuppie, yippie
hippie, hopi
do the hokey-pokey
and turn yourself around
cause labels are limiting
and that’s what it’s all about
Post notes: The above poem, written circa 1992, was read into a mic at a 4th of July Party for Wall Residences, an agency I used to work for that provides foster care to people with developmental disabilities. It appeared in the 1997 edition of Appalachian Voices, a literary supplement put out by The New River Free Press. It was read at a Spoken Word Event at Oddfellas Cantina in Floyd a few years ago and is included in Muses Like Moonlight, a collection of my poetry.
Comments
I love the simple wisdom in that!
Posted by: Absolute Vanilla (and Atyllah) | September 12, 2007 10:17 AM
short and to the point....just how i like it! :)
Posted by: bluemountainmama | September 12, 2007 12:50 PM
I like that too, of course some labels I like...say "Domestic Goddess, Princess..."things like that.
Posted by: Deana | September 12, 2007 3:35 PM
Very clever! I love it! And that truly is what it's all about.
Posted by: ruth | September 12, 2007 6:37 PM
I'd love to hear you read that aloud.
Posted by: zhoen | September 12, 2007 10:22 PM
I can tell you that I almost sing the last line and it ends with a double clap!
Posted by: colleen | September 12, 2007 10:33 PM
Colleen,
that was great --- I loved it! And congrats on having your talent recognized. That doesn't always happen!! You keep goin' gal!
Posted by: Lara | September 12, 2007 10:37 PM
Ok, Yuppie Yippee Hippie Hopi made me laugh!
And a very nice message too. Great flow to those sounds.
I just want to go around saying that to people to see what they say.
~S
Posted by: Shephard | September 14, 2007 10:16 PM
I was one of those people too. Long hair granny glasses bell bottom pants. Riding around Hull past the park listening to In The Summer Time when the weather gets hot "Mungo Jerry"
Posted by: JohnA | September 20, 2007 10:36 AM