“Somebody Said”

  

c. 2026 Rod Ice

All rights reserved

(8-26)

 

 

Somebody said

That there’s wisdom at the bottom of a garbage can

A terse timeline, composed from a vend-o-mat

A compost of chemicals with proteins and fat

And biography of Jack Spratt

Yes, I have heard

That the age of redemption is an also-ran

Like a semi-rig rolling down the highway route

A Diamond Jim Daddy in a pinstripe zoot suit

That was quite a hoot!

 

Somebody said

That that iced coffee is better at a diner counter

With friends arranged in a diamond square

Properly seated in matching chairs

And I did not care

Yes, I have heard

That there’s a trick-or-treat party, over yonder

No matter what time of year is injected

It’s a matter of the calendar being neglected

And a ski-mask on my head

 

Somebody said

That the sum of wisdom is an ad blurb for cigarettes

A tagline used in a different culture

When profiteers circled like hungry vultures

But I wasn’t sure

Yes, I have heard

That Jesus came back, on the screen of a TV set

And nobody noticed his presence in the room

Which dampened the day in shades of gloom

A dustpan without a broom

 

Somebody said

That anyone reading books is empty inside

But I had a different take on that view

Had no interest in being stuck with glue

It’s a handoff from me to you

Yes, I have heard

That a wolf can leap a fence, both tall and wide

Even when pursued by those on the hunt

And a party of patriots, bearing the brunt

Of smoking a Cuban blunt

 

Somebody said

That there’s enough frustration for all mankind

To power a factory of machines at work

Making shredded wheat from weeds and dirt

A bandage to cover the hurt

Yes, I have heard

That a bird in flight has a lot on its mind

Soaring over the tenement slums

Like an immigrant crew, picking pears and plums

And a protester beating her drum

 

Somebody said

That the touch of a hand when the night is cold

May surprise those who think that a slap is correct

A five-finger exercise, strong and direct

A lawyer rising to object

Yes, I have heard

That the mentally ill have a reason to scold

Those of us who can’t think outside the lines

We get lost when the gears begin to grind

And the clock quits telling time

 

Somebody said

That a gown of fine fabric cannot eviscerate

The contours of a glutton, flaccid and flabby

Sitting on a barstool next to Dear Abby

It’s a strange place to be

Yes, I have heard

That a cannonball might split boilerplate

With the fearless force of a bullet, shot

A stone skipping across the parking lot

Johnny-on-the-spot

 

Somebody said

That every time there’s a change on the wind

It’s a certainty, that rumors will resound

Like pooches pawing to escape from the pound

At the disco, getting down

Yes, I have heard

That we eventually travel back to where we begin

In an arc that curls into a shape, familiar

An effect that is oddly old and peculiar

It causes quite a stir

 

Somebody said

That coming so far indicates a weakness

A need to fill the space in an empty jar

With a residue of herbal tea, imported from afar

It’s an overdue chance to spar

Yes, I have heard

That indulging in laughter is a sign of excess

A ritual rooted in self-appreciation

From the era when rubes ruled this continental nation

And crows exclaimed with elation

 

Somebody said

That the last words of a poet ring true

When on the bed where their breath will fail

A sharp flick of the dragon’s tail

Ther’s a hole at the bottom of this pail

Yes, I have heard

That an eagle’s talon might hold a shrew

Carried aloft, while spectators gawk

After a serenade by New Kids on the Block

And a shopkeeper taking stock

 

Somebody said

That there’s wisdom at the bottom of a garbage can

But it wasn’t me, Lord

It wasn’t me...