Poems for friends

ON HIS BLINDNESS
(With Apologies to Milton)
or
PURGE THE SPURGE!

There was a man, Miles Parker, who was Victorian-wise
He rescued a botanical which blinded both his eyes

The pain, it was exquisite He called for help with hope
The cops they were suspicious and searched him well for dope

The plant was a euphorbia so innocent and green
Not even a Venus Flytrap would have treated Miles so mean

Keep your euphorbia watered Don 't let it get quite dry
Or its milky, caustic substance will make you scream and cry

Euphorbia, euphorbia, a breed of weed so strange
Mole plant, poinsettia, and Crown of Thorns all fall within its range

"It could bother a gopher or mole and make him go away "
Have you seen a mole 's eyes lately? That's how they got that way

Euphorbus was a Greek physician but no antidote had he
So Miles yelled, "Eureeeeeeeeka! " just like Archimedes

Yes, artists can be disabled A fact so dread to utter
Beethoven with his deafness Demosthenes with his stutter

Paul Gaugin had syphilis and Vincent Van Gogh had fits
Toulouse Lautrec had stunted legs Miles Parker 's eyes were slits

His sight came back with a week which filled us with euphoria
A sadder, wiser man was Miles He's phobic for euphorbia

Silvia Lange Sometime in the Seventies San Diego


ON HER LEAVING

Camille, oh, Camille
Please heed our appeal
If your leaving you 'll repeal
We'll take you to Mobile
Actually to a street named Beale
For a scrumptious meal of veal
Maybe a creel full of eel
Are we hearing you squeal?

Deal? No deal?

Yes, we know how you feel
The Wheel, Wheel of Fortune, the Wheel
Grinds you down
You could over-keel
It's all so surreal

But soon you will heal
Church bells will peal
You'll dance till you reel
Do flip-flops head over heel
Your clothes you'll off-peel
To go swim with a seal

And then dressed all in teal
You'll approach your new job
With zeal!
.
Silvia Lange CHAMPUS 1996