Nary a canary can, in the can of Cranston,
sing again last spring’s curb-slush song
here I am, your canary, oh Cranston
I went on & asked them –
& they sang oh Cranston, here I am, I am.
Those syllables stay, but their consecution
Goes, each past year unbearable to recall.
Last year the chicks chirped all June for blue maw
After the mother bird drowned in a highball.
When my mother dies, I think I could only sing.
Here was I. Again & Agennigan.
But this year the canaries forgot the whole thing.
Ah, canaries! Ah, humanity!
I don’t know which to sigh for.
Oh for a region of similarity
“for the syrinx of the fat Pawtucket parrot,
who’s stuck in the perfect word rut:
Tearflian, he goes. Tear flee on. What more rot,
Happy rot, could the heart, mum in the synapses
Of molted canary memories, hum
To which P&J can only respond with the opening line of the Jackiebeat Orchestra’s song, “Providence, USA”: “What cheer, Netop, what the fuck you lookin’ at?”
They all look alike, right?
We noted this correction the New York Times of May 17:
“A picture caption on Tuesday about clashes between Hamas and Fatah in Gaza referred incorrectly in some copies to the unidentified Palestinian shown standing in the burned offices of Fatah in Gaza City. The person is a woman.”
Normally the burka is a dead giveaway.
What’s next for Tony Soprano?
While James Gandolfini has expressed his relief about being free of the burden of playing Tony Soprano (calling Sean Connery), the deliberately ambiguous ending of The Sopranos certainly plays into theorizing about a possible big-screen version of David Chase’s modern mob epic. There was much gnashing of teeth about this, and clamoring from those who found the lack of resolution less than satisfying.
P&J have our doubts about whether a film version will really be in the offering, although the possibility is there, of course. Still, in a culture that has little comfort with ambiguity, we think Chase crafted a superb ending.
Send coconuts and Pulitzer-grade tips to p&j@phx.com.
