A poem/song I found while weeding books at the library [author unknown]. Plus, my own [fairly different] take on the same basic vibe.

BLOT: (25 Nov 2013 - 12:42:13 PM)

A poem/song I found while weeding books at the library [author unknown]. Plus, my own [fairly different] take on the same basic vibe.

Reading through 15 Forgotten Things Found Inside Books—a best-of of sorts from Forgotten Bookmarks, a blog/feed about things left behind in books—made me think of one of my own recent find: a poem/song left in a badly damaged and out-of-date book on the science of science-fiction that showed up on my cart of books to be checked for weeding status. The title of the poem/song is "Forever", and the author is unknown, but the last time the book was checked out was in the late 90s so it is likely at least that old, assuming someone didn't write it and leave it in the book, at a later date. The poem is in black ink on college ruled paper. Here is the text, as written, spelling and all.

Also, had originally planned to rewrite the poem just a bit, or at least remix the words, but so many of the themes/structures are so different than mine that it wasn't working for me. Instead, I have included what might have been a Doug-poem from the late 90s if I had been trying for something similar in vibe, but with my own themes and words and mixed-up emotions. Probably shouldn't go back to the past, so I regret this already...

"Forever" original, [author unknown]

Once in a while I start thinkin' about ya bāby Just wondering What I would do without your love Why can't you tell me What you're doing Why you're leaving me on the backburner heated over you (chorus) I-I just wanna get next to you Stay with you Just me and you Forever, in every way But when when we pray The problems go all away As we sit back And let the LORD be our guide We come closer As our faith goes into overdrive And we do no longer hide Our troubles from one another 'Cause'... (refrain/chorus) Our love will always stay Forever (faded repeat)

Notes

• "baby", in the second line, has a line over the "a", not sure why, but I've retained it.
• The line that starts with "I - I just want to get next with you" is written as such, I assume it is meant to be said twice, the word "I", I mean.
• The shift from "why'd you leave me???" to "why we'll stay together in the LORD!!!" (note, all-CAPS used in original) is as portrayed, I have not edited anything in or out.
• The original two verses have the final lines spaced over, while the others do not, suggesting it started as a poem but was then tweaked into a song.
• "Cause", at the end, has single quotes around it, but it might be a "typo" because the closing quote is a lot fainter like they went back and darkened the opening one to contrast the other.
• There are two edits written on the page: "and [let] the LORD" and "faith goes in[to] overdrive". Those are shown as edited, rather than the original. The edits are in the same hand, but seem to be a darker, finer pen so might be a later session. Also, they scratched out "chor" and replaced it with "refrain/chorus" there at the end.

Scanned Original

Click to see a larger version of the scan.

What Doug Would Have Written if He Had Written "Forever" in the Late 90s

Midnight knocks, enters, leaves the door open and then has the gall to act surprised that, once again, I am alone and She chastises me, a tiny little puppy, for being such and I point out As best one can, to such a thing as Midnight and Her mannerisms, that if it were that I'm alone I'm alone because you, with paradox and metaphor and anger, have decided I am not Whatever it is That it is That you might want, And so we are alone, like a sidewalk crack on the off-street of a long Fall day When the autumn rains Flow over things Down into the sewers, with the time burned leaves, and the sticks and the old, red ragdolls, button-eyed and thread mouthed, again. And maybe out there, in the long dark deep, the night complete, there is a script, a hastily scrunched up sheet full of edits and rewrites and little notations, but full of heart, and maybe it has said that I and You—having passed on from You and I [having grown tired and one-sided] —are the gathered, too, but here we do not read the script and we do not play the game or take the stage so I and Midnight, with her sweet cold cloudy bright sparkling face and long sigh company, Awake with me, asleep beside me, Sit alone, Until even she is gone and 3am is quiet Forever. Again.

OTHER BLOTS THIS MONTH: November 2013