Thursday, October 23, 2008

FIRST TIME
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I AM PRAYING FOR THIS COUNTRY
THAT THE RANCOR AND BITTERNESS WILL TAKE A VACATION
Despite Jesus' words, Blessed are the peacemakers, generally peacemakers are a hated lot.


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HAVING FAITH


DOES NOT INCLUDE BLOWING UP MOUNTAINS TO MOVE THEM.



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October 15, 2008 - Wednesday
17 SONGS WITH A W.VA. CONNECTION

I tried to find a connection to W.Va. in my songs recently for a W.Va. musical being created for the Charleston Stage Company. In some the connection is obvious. Like "Poor People". I wrote this when I was 24 and only recently started playing it again. You can tell it was written a long time ago...1974. A lot of songs I have changed over the years, but not this one.
Some not so obvious. Say like, "See My Dog." I figure every one in W.Va. has a dog. Or "Always": It's about befriending the down and out, 'the one out of place." Wouldn't that be West Virginia? So maybe it is more obvious than it appears at first.
And "Rain" That's just a damn good song and one of my most recent and there has to be a connection, I'm just too tired to think about it right now.
"Old Willie" We all know Old Willie.
"Old Joe" A friend that left the state and came back for a visit, and left me wondering still, "I wonder whatever happened to him." After 20 years Joe and I got together again, are best friends again. And now I really know what happened to him. What I only suspected back when I only suspected something HAD happened to him. Yea, abuse.
"The Ballad of Ma Blizzard" is about a (West Virginia) woman with a crowbar.
"Jesco" White or is it Jesico?. Careful here. You might have to invite him to the opening.
"Gubmint Song" I wrote this like 2 weeks ago. It started off to be about my lack of motivation.
"Who Did This" Same vein as Gubmint Song. It's about MTR. I was actually mad about something else in the beginning. That's where I got the chorus.
"Back in Boomer" It's about a mile up the road from me.
"Orchestra on Wheels" About a coal truck driver. I've been debating calling it Hell on Wheels for 20 years. But for now...
"Picture Taker" A jaunty little number about a pyromaniac photographer.
"Church Bells at Sago" Very obvious, unfortunately.
"Counting Crosses" Those crosses!
"Heaven's Kind." Who you callin' "Almost Heaven", Willis?
"The Pearl" I even called my mother "Mamma" in it...so even if I hadn't mentioned West Virginia....




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October 13, 2008 - Monday
Ode to a Shyster
BlankoThere's a guy on tvwith no souland piles of cash.
he's an accountanttalking survival of the fittest
he has risenthrough the ranks
using a fountain pen and accounting skills
to slash costs
he has no problem
with the consequences
of these cuts to
future generations and
those
they hurt the most
as long as he is hurting
someone else
it is not his problem
funneling money to a group
exploiting children for political purposes:
'and for the sake of the
shareholders'

he enters the political scene
and defames the character
of an opponent
through a massive
distortion campaign.
he has gained respect
and admiration from lackeys:
money and power are attractiveeven when it is attached to the face of a phony
people admire
his stealth
his coldness
his lack of conscience
it is the secret of his success.to those affected most by his
accounting skills
and ruthless
reduction of human life
to a decimal point
somewhere in a bank statement
in some boardroom
he says:make my shareholders danceand our wealth willtrickle down to you
a drop of milkfor that child of yours
tattered shoes
flooded homes
toxic water
dead fish floating by
survival of the fittest
his jaws are at your throat right now
don't struggle
no use...there is no fairnessjust fitnessit's all legal
contractual
big business
Blanko
bullshit.
T. Paige Dalporto


Room for the prophet
no room for the prophet of doom
no room for the prophet of gloom
no room at the inn
so take yourself
remake yourself
into a myspace friend
try it all
acupuncture, church, trappist monk
you can find your niche
doesn't have to be
'son of bitch'
too young to be so sure
there's nothing out there
I'm just as sure there is.
nothing is certain
but prophets of doom
you will listen to
cruel world
cruel room
let the sparks fly upward
there's nothing out there
it's all inside
miles of mercy, grace
and stars above
truth and love
and room
for the prophet.

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October 10, 2008 - Friday
I’ve noticed this about myself


I've got a photographic memory but the pictures are all fuzzy.






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October 6, 2008 - Monday
C. O. A. L.
I hesitate to use this wonderful acronym I came up with because, coal been good to me, as a Cuban baseball player once said when talking about baseball.
But coal ain't what it used to be (and neither is baseball for that matter), not since MTR blew up my mountain and hauled my heaven away, so here goes

C. O. A. L. :
CHILD OF ANOTHER LUCIFER


There's more but I'll save it for another day.

Fool Me

FOOL ME ONCE SHAME ON REAGAN
FOOL ME TWICE SHAME ON BUSH/CHENEY
FOOL ME FOUR TIMES SHAME ON KARL ROVE
FOOL ME FIVE TIMES SHAME ON RUSH LIMBAUGH
FOOL ME SIX TIMES SHAME ON FOX
FOOL ME SEVEN TIMES SHAME ON WALL STREET
FOOL ME EIGHT TIMES SHAME ON BLANKENSHIP
FOOL ME NINE TIMES SHAME ON MADISON AVENUE
FOOL ME ELEVEN TIMES SHAME ON GREED
FOOL ME TWELVE TIMES SHAME ON MCCAIN-PALIN
FOOL ME THIRTEEN TIMES SHAME ON ME.