New Year – The Coming of the Toads

For a New Year

Happy new year
one at a time
Happy new ears
ones that can hear.

Happy new shears
to cut the old hair
Happy new crown
for the frown clown.

Weary old year
falls into compost
Happy the earthworms
bring a new day.

Now in the rains
the ground soaked
the basement wet
the table settled.

Blessed the unsung
who hear buoy bells
Blessed the obscure
quilting deep poems.

In the New Year
may clear water
be your cheer
light your walk.

May you talk happily
quietly so hear poetry
may your words work
magic in the new year.

A Cat’s New Year’s Celebration

“Are you napping through the New Year again?”“Have you a better suggestion?” “Par-tay!” “Surely you jest.” — “Are you napping through the New Year again?”
“Have you a better suggestion?”
“Par-tay!”
“Surely you jest.”

“We’ve been invited to a New Year’s celebration. All the cool cats will be there.”“The gentrified cats, you mean?” “These are hep cats, the kind you should get along with.” “Get along is for doggies.” — “We’ve been invited to a New Year’s celebration. All the cool cats will be there.”
“The gentrified cats, you mean?”
“These are hep cats, the kind you should get along with.”
“Get along is for doggies.”

“We’re supposed to bring noise makers. I got this kazoo out for you.”“What are you bringing?” — “We’re supposed to bring noise makers. I got this kazoo out for you.”
“A kazoo? What are you bringing?”

"Ever hear of rock-n-roll?" — “Ever hear of rock-n-roll? Hee, hee!”

"Move on over and let Jimi Cat take over!" — “Move on over and let Jimi Cat ring in the New Year with some rockin’ hallelujah cheer!”

“I think I’ll stay home and reread ‘A Cat’s Christmas in Wails’. I love the part where the cats attack that little punk with the snowballs.After that, I’ll get out some old Sing Along with Mitch records. Maybe I’ll ask Archy and Mehitabel over.” — “I think I’ll stay home and reread ‘A Cat’s Christmas in Wails’. I love the part where the cats attack that little punk with the snowballs.
After that, I’ll get out some old Sing Along with Mitch records.
Maybe I’ll ask Archy and Mehitabel over.”

“You going to the party?“I’ve way too pooped. I've been blogging all day long. I think I've got the Blogger's Blues." — “You going to the cat’s New Year’s party?
“I’m way too pooped. I’ve been blogging all day.” “Sounds like you’ve got a case of the Blogger’s Blues.”

"OK. I'll go to the party on one condition.""What's that?" "I don't have to wear one of those silly hats. And I don't have to go outside in the cold at midnight and blow that silly kazoo. And I don't have to have fun." "Yes to all of that. And no New Year's Kiss for you, either." "OK, OK, maybe the kazoo. The kazoo for a kiss." "Happy New Year!" — “OK. I’ll go to the party on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“I don’t have to wear one of those silly hats. And I don’t have to go outside in the cold at midnight and blow that silly kazoo. And I don’t have to have fun.”
“Yes to all that. And no silly New Year’s Kiss for you, either.”
“OK, OK, maybe the kazoo. The kazoo for a kiss.”
“Happy New Year!”

HAPPY NEW EARS!

“There are no aesthetic emergencies,” John Cage said, in A Year From Monday (1969, p. 28). Above that, same page, Cage typed:

“Complaint: you open doors; what we
want to know is which ones you
close. (Doors I open close auto-
matically after I go through).”

Later, on page 30, Cage gets to a point:

“What is the crux of the matter as far as a listener is concerned? It is this: he has ears; let him use them.”

And then, in all caps:

“HAPPY NEW EARS!”

The years close behind us like automatic doors.

And Jesus said:

“But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.
For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see
what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear
but did not hear it” (Matthew, 13:16-17).

Remember when cell phones and email converged? “Can you hear me? Can you hear me now?” … “I just sent you an email! Did you get it?”

Who can hear the door closing?

“There are no aesthetic emergencies.”

Let the doors close
automatic
ally,
as they will,
and have a Hap
py Nap
py New Year
at The Coming
of the Toads.