BLOWING OUT THE CANDLES

 By LaRue Watts 

Today, as I turn eighty,

I wish I weren't so weighty!

 LEGENDS #13 GLENN CLOSE

The 2020 Broadway Cares Christmas ornament honors Glenn Close in her Tony winning performance as Norma Desmond in "Sunset Boulevard."

Beginning as a movie (released in 1950) directed and co-written by Billy Wilder along with Charles Brackett who also co-wrote and produced, it starred Gloria Swanson in the role of Norma which garnered her an Oscar nomination.

In the passing years, many vied to turn it into a musical (with Swanson herself having a go at it),  Then, Steven Sondheim gave it a try by writing the opening scene with libbrettist, Burt Shevelove planning it as a vehicle to star Jeannette MacDonald.  But upon discussing the work with Wilder whom he met at a cocktail party, the director  maintained that it could never be a musical but instead should be an opera, and thus, Sondheim abandoned the work.  Later, the idea was kicked around by Hal Prince to do a musical movie with Angela Lansbury as a faded musical comedy performer rather that a silent screen (star but that, too never came to fruition.

Enter Andrew Lloyd Webber and the London production directed by Trevor Nunn.  It starred Patti LuPone and received mixed reviews.  So, after a brief run, it closed for three weeks and was reworked opening again with Betty Buckley in the lead role.

Next came a  run in Los Angeles with Ms. Close creating the new and improved Norma prior to her opening on Broadway.

Ironically, the musical lost money, mainly due to a law suit filed by Ms. LuPone who maintained she had been promised the Broadway run.  The suit was settled and Ms. LuPone became a million dollars richer.  And that, as they say, is "show business."

Below is Ms. Close in the role of Norma as well as the inspired Broadway Cares ornament.

UPDATE

by LaRue Watts

Three years gone 

And every dawn,

I miss him.

But, blessed night

When dreams take flight,

I kiss him.

Update?

I wait.

A Clerihew

Regarding President Trump

Who's on the political stump

I wish that he and Ivanka, 

Were living exiled in Sri Lanka.

THE STORM

by LaRue Watts

A hurricane is in the works
And hopefully, it will have perks.
It's bound to cleanse, I have no doubt
For that's what storms are all about.
It gives the earth a new direction.
I mean, of course, the next election.

THE CANE

By LaRue Watts

Sometimes, I'd like to take a hike.
I can't.
The bane of my existence is a cane.

Sometimes, I'd like to ride a bike.
I can't.
It's plain that my existence is a cane.

Sometimes, I want what's out of reach.
The highest limb, the sweetest peach.
I long to climb, explore that tree
But sadly, that is not to be.
I can't.
My pain is the persistence of a cane.

Yet, there are days when I recall
Those times wherein I had it all;
That thrill of living out each day
With nothing standing in my way.
I reached for stars beyond the rain.
But, that was then, before the cane.

Am I at sea?  Are good times lost?
Sometimes, I reassess the cost,
Especially in my dreams at night
When all my wishes can take flight.
It's then I take a different stance.
Sometimes, my cane and I, we dance.

BELIEFS

by LaRue Watts

I don't believe in Santa Claus
Or arcane civil-rights and laws.
I don't believe in sharing smiles
From loving friends across the miles.
I don't believe in goals I've set
Or care for those I've never met.
I don't believe in first-sight love
Or Godliness from up above.
I don't believe in Democrats
Or loyal dogs or picky cats.
I do believe in guns in schools.
And while I'm at it......April Fools!

CALVIN

by LaRue Watts

A young man fair, I never met
And that, alas, is my regret.
For I know tales of bright young days
When he was light in many ways.
But there was darkness too, I hear,
And sadness deep within his fear,
That unknown anguish he would fight
In some attempt to give it flight.
The battle, sadly so, was lost.
And he has paid the final cost.
His life is gone, the battle done.
The stars are dim.  There is no sun.
But, we take heart, because we care
About that missing young man, fair.
His smile endures and will not cease.
His smile ensures he's found his peace.

PHOENIX RISING

By LaRue Watts

I'll not align with bitter wine
This year, without a Valentine,
Instead recall that sweeter haze
When love was all, in glory days
And brightly flared that burning fire
Of earning kisses in desire.
No darkness now can conquer me.
The flame of love has set me free.
I glow.  I burn.  I soar.  I fly
Because of Valentines gone by.

A WALL

by LaRue Watts

A wall can keep you safe inside.

A wall provides a place to hide.

A wall may keep a foe at bay,

A wall can host what posters say. 

But walls were meant for ivy climbing

And walls were meant to use in miming. 

So, why a wall that only states
Our land is full, there are no gates?

Why not a wall with "Have no fear,
Your tired, your poor are welcome here."
Build in an arch that opens wide
And welcomes all to come inside.
Become a wall flower, leave a mark.
Let wall weeds wither in the dark.

ELECTION

By LaRue Watts

The animals had an election
To see who would lead them all
It was quite an enormous selection
Of creatures who'd heeded the call.
While many were fond of the lion,
The eagle and stallion did well.
And even the turtle was tryin'
To sell what he had in his shell.
The front runners had a debate
Which narrowed the field by a few
Who argued on matters of state
And turned it all into a zoo.

Now, animal nature is funny,
So two votes were cast for the monk
While three were assigned to the bunny,
The most voters went for the skunk.
When some species spoke of rebellion and such
Impeachment was bandied about
The owl wisely said "You're all out of touch
But I have figured it out.
And what do I say to each one of you
That some will surely find strange?
I think that the simplest thing we can do
Is pray for the winds of change."

THE FIRST TREE

By LaRue Watts

The Christmas tree that I recall
May not have been the best.
In hindsight, it was rather small
And somewhat under dressed.
It occupied a poorer time
When I was six or seven
Yet, Grandma made it all sublime
And pretty close to heaven.
With just some glass, a box or two,
And not much more of note,
"One string of lights will have to do,"
I still can hear her quote.

My gram and I, how did we start?
By sewing popcorn strings,
With berries as another part
And chains of paper rings.
She added cookies, newly glazed
And hung them on the tree
And I was dumbstruck and amazed
By what my eyes could see.
When all, at last, was said and done,
The tree was wondrous.  And...
I knew, midst all the work and fun
Why we called Grandma, Grand!

I LAUGH

By LaRue Watts

I laugh.
Not as much as I could.
Not as much as I should
But, I laugh.

It may be at me
and a costly mistake
Sometimes, you see
They are easy to make
So, I laugh.

I sigh.
If the day is too long.
If the day is all wrong
Then, I sigh.

It's only a sound,
Not giving up hope.
And therefore, I've found
It is easy to cope
If I sigh.

I dream
For a way yet to be
For a day all will see
What I dream.

A dream where men love
And keep hatred at bay
And the good from above,
Will shine on each day
As I dream.

When we reap what we sow,
Ignoring  the chaff,
You'll see how we grow
And I'll  laugh.

CLOSURE

By LaRue Watts

A year's gone by.
The pain is less.
I sometimes cry
But must confess
My days of missing what we had
Have softened through the year.
I've somehow found the taste of glad
And not the salty tear.
So, like a balm
It soothes my plight.
Now, all is calm
And all is bright.

THE REAPER

by LaRue Watts

Of all the doubts I've ever had,
Of all the feeble fears,
I find but one to be so sad,
It often brings me tears.
Have I been kind and given care
To every fellow man?
Have I been thankful I could share
My maker's earthly plan?
These questions sometimes haunt my soul
And make me cease to try.
Has my life been entirely whole
Or just a passing-by?
When happiness and joy appear,
I revel where they're shown.
But still I have that saddest fear
Of meeting death alone.
And it will come one day, I know
I'll hear the reapers call.
And into that dark night I'll go,
Where sorry covers all.
So eye to eye, when I'm with him
As portals we pass through.
I plan to chide him, "Why, so grim?
Let's share a laugh or two."
If I can wrest the slightest smile,
I'll best this avatar.
Amusement's always been my style.
Now, lead me to my star.

AMERICA TODAY

by LaRue Watts

Oh, pitiful for specious lies
With not a whit of shame,
But only fits of majesty
To feed his egos aim.
America.   America!
God rid this place of he,
Who sees no good
In brotherhood
Or decency, I plea.

ON OPERATING

To say "going under the knife,"
When surgery's impending
Brings naught to me but strife
So I "go in for mending."

JUST A THOUGHT

by LaRue Watts

The residency
Of this presidency
Spawns depressions
From transgressions
And so I shout
"Get him out!"
I insist.
Resist!
Place the blame.
Extinguish the flame.

WISHES

by LaRue Watts

"Wish I may, wish I might."
A silent prayer we made
When we were ready for the night
As down our heads we laid.
We threw some coins into a well
For wishes hoped to be.
And rubbing genie lamps could tell
Us we were granted three.
And everyone has always known
To wish upon that turkey bone.
But wishes now have come to mean
That malcontent is on the scene.
Should we wish for a better day?
Come find a star and wish away.

ON TURNING SEVENTY-SEVEN

by LaRue Watts

I just can't wait
Till I'm seventy-eight.
And doing fine
Hitting seventy-nine.
I'll Warren Beatty
When I turn eighty
At eighty-one,
I've just begun.
Now, eighty-two
Will see me through
To eight-three and on.
At eighty-four,
I'll still want more.
When I arrive
At eighty-five
With all the best to be
I may just pull a fast one and revert to two or three.