Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Funny

FUNNY, adj. Having the quality of exciting merriment, as a Bulletin article by Fr. Bartlett when he is at his sickest.
He lay on his deathbed and wrote like mad,
For his will was good though his cough was bad.
And his humor ran without ever a hitch,
Urged by the rowels of Editor Fitch,
Who took the sheets as they fell from his hand,
Perused and endeavored to understand.
The work was complete. "'Tis a merry jest,"
The writer remarked; "I think it my best.
How strange that a man at the point of death
Should have so much with so little breath!"
Then thoughtfully answered him Editor Fitch,
As he scratched his head, though it didn't itch:
"The point of death I can certainly see,
But that of the joke is concealed from me."
2010 Update: Reassuringly imperfect, like all the contents of an unmirrored room.
A full bag of groceries can sure seem amusing,
And words from a poet, no less when confusing;
An umpire's call (except when you're losing);
Most anything striking, bawling or bruising
Any three strangers who enter a bar;
Each ideology, taken too far;
The pious in worship, in gossip or char;
A sinner, sincerely repenting his mar;
The flight of a sparrow, a hen or an emu;
Wise words of advice from some sot that you knew;
Two lumps in a cup or a toad in the brew;
Or you going through that thing that you do;
Cars when they're flowing or stopped when it's snowing,
Depending, of course, on where you were going;
Kids when they're quiet, kids when they're growing;
And parents when pleased, neglectful or crowing.
This world is a tragic one, let me be clear,
Of mirthless malevolence, want, harm and fear.
Pray as you should and help some, old dear,
But funny our world spins at point of a spear.
-Lyman Moody

18 comments:

Mo'a said...

Today is Sprengjudagur in Iceland.
Yellow pea soup with salt lamb...Oh!!!how I miss those special days.
Bolludagur was my favorite...how can you not love a day when you take a wand to your parents and receive a treat for the effort...now that is FUNNY :)

Nessa said...

Oops. I dropped a banana peel...

Desires

Jim said...

.
_________ went to Heaven and met St. Peter at the gate, ...
This blonde ...
A lawyer ...
A Catholic priest, a Baptist preacher, and a Jewish rabi ...
Doug ...
A golfer ...

Smile when you say these words, pardner. Doesn't matter too much what follows.
..

Anonymous said...

Funny: Girl

k. riggs gardner said...

Mo'a ~ I can almost smell the soup cooking ... I'll bet Saltkjöt og baunir is delicious !! I hope you enjoy every remaining minute of Bursting Day !!

Tom & Icy said...

One person's Comedy is another person's Tragedy, depending on which one slipped on that banana peel.

k. riggs gardner said...

That's true, T&I. Full bags of groceries are as amusing as an umpire's call.

Omnipotent Poobah said...

funny - Something that I think is and invariably someone else thinks is not.

Ariel the Thief said...

Two long definitions, each is half a page, that is NOT funny.

Anonymous said...

Funny: farts to boys...

Why??? I don't get it. I'm a girl.

quilly said...

Funny: rubber chickens, whoopee cushions, knock-knock jokes, and Doug. Not necessarily in that order.

Anonymous said...

count me in
on a
funny future
...
peace

cooper said...

funny

There's funny like "The Fool on the Hill" (the Beatles song, not the white house), or there's "funny" like
Hannibal Lecter, nd Patrick Bateman.

I like your poetic waxing.

Doug The Una said...

Mo'a, I think Bolludagur is the kind of genius it takes generations of frostbite to generate.

Good start, Nessa.

It's true, Jim. We live in an era freed from punchlines.

Barbra Streisand, Thom. Exactly.

Nice Karen, it does sound like a hearty soup.

And who was holding the trayful of uranium, Icy, yes.

Or a submarine with screen windows, Karen?

Poobah, in this world you just can't wait around for the next guy to laugh.

Ariel, you need a faster dictionary.

Jenn, we find girls funny, too.

Actonbell, I know what you mean. How can this be a long week already?

True, Quilly, but one on top of the other would be extremely funny.

Bear, I have no doubt.

Thanks, Coop. Hannibal Lecter? I fear I've been a bad influence.

quilly said...

You're right. Doug sitting on a whoopee cushion while holding a chicken and telling knock knock jokes. I can't even say that without laughing.

sauerkraut said...

looking

k. riggs gardner said...

s'kraut: What on Earth are you looking for?

k. riggs gardner said...

I mean really. Do tell. Why are you being so snippy?