My Funny Man

A funny man within us dwells,

     A reckless, impish clown;

And I have my hands full at spells

     To keep his impship down.

For he is always breaking loose

     Just when he should keep still;

And when I call on him for use,

     He never fills the bill.

And so we battle day to day,

     My funny man and me;

And when I’ve something sad to say,

     He twists it into glee.

So when bad joke of mine you see,

     Which call for a rattan,

Remember, please, it isn’t me,

     It is my funny man.

May 7, ‘94

Boston Courier

June 3, ‘94

rattan - A switch or cane made from the long, tough, flexible stems of various spiny climbing palms.