Michael Popek's Blog, page 103

Rejected

Typed and mimeographed poem:

Rejected

A stranger stood at the Gates of hell
And the Devil himself answered the bell.
He looked him over from head to toe
And said: My friend, I’d like to know
What you have done in the line of sin
To entitle you to come within?

Then Franklin D, with his usual guile
Stepped forth with his toothy smile and said:

“When I took charge in ’33
A nations faith was mine,” said he.
“I promised them this and I promised them that
And I calmed them down with a fireside chat.


I spent their money in fishing trips
And fished from the decks of their battleships.
I gave them jobs in the WPA
Then raised their taxes and took it away.
I raised their wages and closed their shops
I killed their pigs and buried their crops
I double-crossed both old and young
And still the folks my praises sung.


I brought back beer, and what do you think?
I taxed it so high they couldn’t drink.
I furnished ’em money with Government loans
When they missed a payment I took their homes.


When I wanted to punish the folks, you know
I’d put my wife on the radio.
I paid them to let their farms lie still
And imported foodstuffs from Brazil.
I curtailed crops when I felt real mean
And shipped in crops from the Argentine.


When they started to worry, stew and fret
I got them to chant the alphabet
With the AAA and the NLB
The WPA and the CCC.
With these many units I got their goats
And still I crammed it down their throats.
My workers worked with the speed of snails
While the taxpayers chewed their fingernails.


When the organization needed dough
I closed their plants with the CIO.
I ruined jobs, I ruined health
And I put the screws on the rich man’s wealth.
And some who couldn’t stand the gaff
Would call on me and how I’d laugh.


When they got too strong on certain things
I’d pack and head for “Ole Warm Springs.”
I ruined their country, their homes and then
I placed the blame on “Nine Old Men.”

Now Franklin talked both long and loud
And the devil stood and his head he bowed.
At last he said: “Lets make it clear
You’ll have to move, you can’t stay here
For once you mingle with this mob,
I’ll have to find myself a job.”

A little research tells me the poem is attributed to V. M. Rodebaugh and was first printed in 1938.

Found in "Italy's Great War and Her National Aspirations" by Mario Alfieri and others. Published by Alfieri and Lacroix, 1917.





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Hello Mom And Dad

 Handwritten letter, dated January 16, 2009:

Hello Mom and Dad!

I'm sending out the check now, sorry for the wait. It seems a waste to not include a short letter in an otherwise empty envelope. So I will send you the letter "R." "R" is the 18th letter of the alphabet, without which I could not write my name. So you can see that it is very important - especially to me.

I'm hoping to see you both next week or so. I would like to cook something with you Mom, we can decide what, when we have a set plan. Nothing too special I am mostly interested in the practicing, and of course, the eating.

Dad, I read an article about people raising bee hives on rooftops in Manhattan, They get about 60 lbs a harvest per hive, 2 or 3 times a year. They sell it for about $10/lb. Not bad. Keeping bees in NYC is illegal, so they are constantly worried about losing their colony. There are support groups for them. Read up on bees, I think it's something easy for your to do.

Love R

Found in "Seasbiscuit" by Laura Hillenbrand. Published by Ballantine, 2002.





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Giveaway winner

This week's winner was @sparethyme_pics, who entered over on Instagram (our first IG winner).

Thanks to all who entered, see you here on Monday.

Friday Giveaway: 11 Vintage Classics - contest closed

Contest now closed. Winner will be announced shortly.


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Friday Giveaway: 11 Vintage Classics

I'm giving away these eleven books today.

To enter, leave a comment below. You can also enter on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram or via email .

I will gather up all entries and select a winner at random tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM Eastern.

Good luck!


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Best Wishes

Silk bookmark.

Found in "Report of the Board of Commissioners Representing the State of New York at the Cotton States and International Exposition Held at Atlanta, Georgia, 1895" published by Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co., 1895.


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Black Heart

Thick and solid metal playing card, the Ace of Hearts (in black). Beveled edges. Card measures 2 inches by 3.25 inches.

Found in "If Winter Comes" by A. S. M. Hutchinson. Published by Little, Brown and Co., 1921.



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Happy 4th

If you home enjoying the holiday today, I wish you all the best and the best of weather. Here's a bookmark I originally posted back in 2010 , a handwritten / typed transcription of "The Star Spangled Banner."


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Giveaway winner

This week's winner was Michele McAlister, who entered on Facebook.

Thanks to all who entered, see you here on Monday.

A quick note, I am currently running a sale on my eBay shop, 15% off lots of listings:

http://stores.ebay.com/ForgottenBookmarks

Friday Giveaway - Signed Copy of FORGOTTEN BOOKMARKS - contest closed

Contest now closed, winner will be announced shortly.

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