Time to break out one of my full-blown, longer poems. I’ve labeled it ‘classic plus’ because, though I originally wrote it years ago, I’ve ‘stayed in touch’ with it over the years, occasionally rewriting/refining the wording to improve it. My goal has been to take a dozen or so of my complete, longer poems and connect them with a coherent narrative — with the result being something structured like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland or Through the Looking Glass. I suspect that Lewis Carroll may have followed a similar path — taking a set of poems he had written, extracting the characters, and creating a story around them which allowed the poems themselves to be included.
As the Joker said, “and…here…we…go”
The Preacher comes to visit us
A dozen times a week.
He comes so bless-ed often,
And Lordy does he speak!
At night or noon or morning
You’ll likely find him there;
Screaming out his warning
Astride the Preacher’s Chair.
The Preacher’s Chair is empty
When the Preacher ain’t around.
Grandpa used to sit there
‘Fore the Preacher came to town.
But the Preacher’s got the recipe
For emptying that seat –
Don’t tell the Preacher ‘bout your sins,
He knows when to repeat!
The Preacher talks to Jimmy –
How he lectures to that lad!
Tells him that he’ll go to Blazes
‘Cause he’s been so bad.
But Mama thinks that Jimmy,
He’s been good beyond compare.
And someday when the Preacher’s gone
He’ll fill the Preacher’s Chair.
The Preacher’s Chair is gone now,
But it’ll soon be back.
The Preacher still comes all the time,
And Lordy does he yack!
Now when the Preacher needs to sit,
He can do it anywhere.
‘Cause Jimmy spread a pot of glue
Upon the Preacher’s Chair!