h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

As you put on my homepage

Hi Irv, Congrats on the Approved entry, I thought I recognised it from all those weeks ago. I will have to read one of these guys at some stage, especially as there's an official recommendation now.

Hey, good to see you! Yes, I'm very happy about my first approved entry. Either it didn't take as long as some people say it does, or my being away on break made it seem shorter. I would definately recommend any of those guys. Ferlinghetti published a compilation called "A Conney Island of the Mind" that might be a good starting place.

~Irving

It's been a while, I barely came in for a couple of weeks and kind of got lost among the threads in the aroma cafe. I've been hanging out in the pub more often. By the looks of it it shouldn't be too long before one of my articles gets to the top of the list but it looks as if you beat () me to it!

That was, perhaps, the worst pun I've heard all day. No, scratch that, my room mate just made a worse one...

~Irving

One can but try.

You've piqued my curiosity, what was it?

something based on his name... it was bad. I don't really remember it, though.

This page never really caught on, did it?

I looked at it and didn't know what to say. But it just occured to me to look it up on Google.... I may have an opinion soon...

I take it you don't know much about beat poetry?

no... I'd be interested to learn, though. My search had mixed results, I couldn't seem to find any pages admitting to containing any. However I did find stuff on the beat generation etc, which I will read more closely soon...

Try this link: http://www.citylights.com/index.html

I'm not sure whether there's any actual poetry to be found, but the City Light's book store is owned by a major Beat Poet and publishes/ sells beat poetry. There should be some info there

~Irving

PS: I could always give an example in this forum...

I checked out the link, its a nice site, but I the only poem I could find was a memorial to Allen Ginsberg...
It would be great if you quoted some here...

Joanna

Do you want something pretty, something humourous, or something political? And is it okay if it indirectly mentions body parts? I'm assuming you are a mature human being, but I wouldn't want to offend.

~Irving

I don't mind about what type it is.... what's your favourite? I like to think I'm a mature human being... I won't be offended!

"Underwear"
From Lawrence Ferlinghetti's "Starting from San Francisco"
New Directions, 1961

I didn't get much sleep last night
thinking about underwear
Have you ever stopped to consider
underwear in the abstract
When you really dig into it
some shocking problems are raised
Underwear is something
we all have to deal with
Everyone wears
some kind of underwear
The Pope wears underwear I hope
The Governor of Louisiana
wears underwear
I saw him on TV
He must have had tight underwear
He squirmed alot
Underwear can really get you in a bind
You have seen the underwear ads
for men and women
so alike but so different
Women's underwear holds things up
Men's underwear holds things down
Underwear is one thing
men and women have in common
Underwear is all we have between us
You have seen the three-color pictures
with crotches encircled
to show the areas of extra strenght
and three-way stretch
promising full freedom of action
Don't be deceived
It's all based on the two-party system
which doesn't allow much freedom of choice
the way things are set up
America in it's Underwear
struggles thru the night
Underwear controls everything in the end
Take foundation garments for instance
They are really fascist forms
of underground government
making people believe
something but the truth
telling you what you can or can't do
Did you ever try to get around a girdle
Perhpas Non-Violent Action
*is* the only answer
Did Gandhi wear a girdle?
Did Lady Macveth wear a girdle?
Was taht why Macbeth murdered sleep?
And that spot she was always rubbing --
Was it really in her underwear?
Modern anglosaxon ladies
must have huge guilt complexes
always washing and washing and washing
Out damned spot
Underwear with spots very suspicious
Underwear with bulges very shocking
Underwear on clothesline a great flag of freedom
Someone has escaped his Underwear
May be naked somewhere
Help!
But don't worry
Everybody's still ung up in it
There won't be no real revolution
And poetry still the underwear of the soul
And underwear still covering
a multitude of faults
in the geological sense --
strange sedimentary stones, inscrutable cracks!
If I were you I'd keep aside
an oversize pair of winter underwear
Do not go naked into that good night
And in the meantime
keep calm and warm and dry
No use stirring ourselves up prematurely
'over Nothing'
Move forward with dignity
hand in vest
Don't get emotional
And death shall have no dominion
There's plenty of time my darling
Are we not still young and easy
Don't shout

Oh,Ho! So you HAVE heard of fried brain (footnote 1). Good entry, Irv.
Love the Ferlinghetti poem (loose underwear is my personal choice).