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Without his Dirty Dozen, there stood Lee,
A gun stuck to his hand for ev'ry role,
The finest baddie you will ever see,
With Jimmy Stewart's killin' as his goal.
Well Jim was squeaky clean, and even though
He couldn't shoot the breeze, he thought he'd try
To take this sumbitch out -- but viewers know
It was the Duke who made Lee Marvin die.
And Jim, a politician through and through,
Took credit, got the girl and won the day,
And lived a lie as all good lawyers do --
What happened to the Duke? Well, he turned gay.
So here's the lesson: truth is bad, my friend --
All people want is bullshit in the end.
It could be worse
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When i see lee Marvin's name I remember
he was a decorated World War 11 veteran,
marine I believe, Pacific Theatre.
Captain Kangaroo, Bob ..??, and Marvin
served together (these facts a bit hazy).
Marvin said the later Captain Kangaroo
was the bravest man he knew.
I admired Marvin, loved his movies.
Wayne too, in "The Quiet Man,' paied with
the most beautiful actress in film, except
of course, Rita Hayworth (Gilda).
Your poem sang me to bed ... I'll turn in
now-- delighted.
Roy Hobbs,
a old veteran myself
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Oddly enough, I don't think Captain Kangaroo ever made it to Australian shores 
My dad force-fed me westerns and that was pretty much how I misspent my youth -- The Searchers is probably my favourite and oh, the Duke, what a wonderful man! I love them all, no matter how cheesy, though I always thought John Wayne got horribly ripped off by Jimmy (who I also adore, by the way) in Liberty Valance. And Lee Marvin was amazing wherever he turned up, but the one role I adored him in more than any other was Ben in Paint Your Wagon.
Happy to come across another western tragic!
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(03-21-2012, 11:04 AM)Leanne Wrote: Without his Dirty Dozen, there stood Lee,
A gun stuck to his hand for ev'ry role,
The finest baddie you will ever see,
With Jimmy Stewart's killin' as his goal.
Well Jim was squeaky clean, and even though
He couldn't shoot the breeze, he thought he'd try
To take this sumbitch out -- but viewers know
It was the Duke who made Lee Marvin die.
And Jim, a politician through and through,
Took credit, got the girl and won the day,
And lived a lie as all good lawyers do --
What happened to the Duke? Well, he turned gay.
So here's the lesson: truth is bad, my friend --
All people want is bullshit in the end. he turned gay! oh my funny bump! that is going to make Terry sob like a big girl I need to sit down with a carmra for this! 
Perfection changes with the light and light goes on for infinity ~~~Bronte
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Isn't "Paint Your Wagon" a hoot? Two tough guys acting like idiots. Boy CE sure did got PW'd quick! Ungrateful bitch!
A sonnet by any other name...
Dale
How long after picking up the brush, the first masterpiece?
The goal is not to obfuscate that which is clear, but make clear that which isn't.
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My mum finally found a dvd copy of "Texas Across The River" last Christmas for my dad, who hasn't shut up about it for forty years -- I know, not proper western, but Dean Martin is bloody hilarious.
Any film that can take the piss out of its genre so successfully while still being representative of that genre is high up on my list.
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Dean Martin could take the stiffness out of starch!
How long after picking up the brush, the first masterpiece?
The goal is not to obfuscate that which is clear, but make clear that which isn't.
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I followed this well presented lure to the last line, then....BANG....I was hooked and flipping around gasping for air in the bottom of the tinnie. A playfully clever piece Leanne, thanks for the read it was most enjoyable, cheers!
Oh what a wicket web we weave!
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Cheers to you, Mr Jimineye
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seriously, he was gay?
thanks for the memories
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Rumour has it... and who is brave enough to deny rumour?
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I love the dialect you evoke in this poem. It works on the level of satire as well as straight speech, so the narrative voice ends up kidding it while using it. The phrase "couldn't shoot the breeze" is divine.
I'm a bit confused by the line "What happened to the Duke? Well, he turned gay." What exactly do you mean by "gay"? Are you using it in the homosexual sense, the archaic sense ("what a gay afternoon") or the ironic sense ("that car is so gay")?
You'll probably hate this comparison, but the last two lines remind me of Bukowski. By which I mean they're poignant in a rough-around-the-edges way.
Thanks for the read.
"We believe that we invent symbols. The truth is that they invent us; we are their creatures, shaped by their hard, defining edges." - Gene Wolfe
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