Inkless Wells

 Inkless Wells

Paul Wells on all the latest out of Ottawa—along with the occasional post about jazz. Follow Paul on Twitter: @InklessPW

Categories: Capital Read, Inkless Wells

A good crazy

by Paul Wells on Tuesday, January 20, 2009 12:38pm - 19 Comments

Oh, Rev. Lowery, were we ever glad to see you after that lettuce poem. Here’s a clip that (despite its poor video quality) shows what he can do when he’s on top of his game:

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  • dB

    I thought “the lettuce poem,” which I’m sure the author will quickly adopt as its actual title instead of “Praise Song for the Day,” was just fine. Is yours a George Packeresque stance against modern poetry in general, or a particular gripe with the poem itself?

  • http://deleted Sandi

    I thought the poem was awful quite frankly – has nothing to do with the era. A poem is a poem is a poem whether it’s 1780 or 2009.

  • Paul Wells

    I liked her instinct, dB: To not try to be definitive and eternal, but to write something a little more modest. I just don’t think it added much, and after that speech it was wildly anticlimactic. It may read better on the page than it sounded.

    Anyway, here in the Maclean’s Ottawa bureau we’re all listening to the Rev. Lowery explaining the good crazy once again, and enjoying it once again.

    • http://macleans.ca kc

      Now if lowery had read that poem. Now hat would be crazy!

    • Jack Mitchell

      (Meant to be read in a lowkey-to-fiery African American Baptist preacher style.)

      While you’re doing that,
      While you’re thinking about that,
      I want to tell you a little story.
      I went in to see the doctor the other day
      And he told me my cholesterol was high.
      That’s what he said, my good doctor.
      He said my cholesterol was high, and that was bad.
      “But,” he said, my good doctor said,
      “Your good cholesterol is fine.”
      My good cholesterol is fine, but my bad cholesterol is high.
      So that’s how I learned one thing.
      I learned there was good cholesterol and bad cholesterol.
      That’s what the doctor said.
      And I thought, How about that?
      And it made me think about something I want to share with you today.
      There are Tories. Sure. There are Tories.
      But there’s all kinds of Tories.
      At least there’s two kinds of Tories.
      Just like there’s two kinds of cholesterol.
      Two kinds of Tories. Doctor didn’t say that, but it’s true.
      There’s bad Tories and there’s good Tories.
      And right now, ladies and gentlemen of this congregation,
      I submit to you, that our Tories are high.
      But there’s good Tories and there’s bad Tories.
      Our bad Tories are high, but our good Tories are low.
      And I submit to you, that what our nation needs
      What this world needs, for the kingdom of God to be at hand,
      What this world needs is good Tories.
      So don’t go saying there’s only one kind of Tory.
      We need the good Tories, just like we need the good cholesterol.
      We need good Tories, and we don’t need bad Tories.
      We need to get rid of the bad Tories and bring in the good Tories.
      That’s what the doctor said.
      He didn’t know it, but he meant it.
      Because without good Tories, you can’t have a good nation.
      Without good Tories, you can’t have a good world.
      Without good Tories, you can’t have that kingdom of God we hear so much about.
      Do you want a good nation? Do you want a good world?
      Do you want that kingdom of God the Lord Jesus promised?
      Then get rid of your bad Tories — get rid of them
      And bring in the good Tories
      Because our good Tory count is low.
      And we can’t have that. No, sir.
      Not if we want a good world.
      We need the kingdom of God.
      We need what the Lord Jesus promised.
      Praise God!

    • Jack Mitchell

      (Meant to be read in a lowkey-to-fiery African American Baptist preacher style.)

      While you’re doing that,
      While you’re thinking about that,
      I want to tell you a little story.
      I went in to see the doctor the other day
      And he told me my cholesterol was high.
      That’s what he said, my good doctor.
      He said my cholesterol was high, and that was bad.
      “But,” he said, my good doctor said,
      “Your good cholesterol is fine.”
      My good cholesterol is fine, but my bad cholesterol is high.
      So that’s how I learned one thing.
      I learned there was good cholesterol and bad cholesterol.
      That’s what the doctor said.
      And I thought, How about that?
      And it made me think about something I want to share with you today.
      There are Tories. Sure. There are Tories.
      But there’s all kinds of Tories.
      At least there’s two kinds of Tories.
      Just like there’s two kinds of cholesterol.
      Two kinds of Tories. Doctor didn’t say that, but it’s true.
      There’s bad Tories and there’s good Tories.
      And right now, ladies and gentlemen of this congregation,
      I submit to you, that our Tories are high.
      But there’s good Tories and there’s bad Tories.
      Our bad Tories are high, but our good Tories are low.
      And I submit to you, that what our nation needs
      What this world needs, for the kingdom of God to be at hand,
      What this world needs is good Tories.
      So don’t go saying there’s only one kind of Tory.
      We need the good Tories, just like we need the good cholesterol.
      We need good Tories, and we don’t need bad Tories.
      We need to get rid of the bad Tories and bring in the good Tories.
      That’s what the doctor said.
      He didn’t know it, but he meant it.
      Because without good Tories, you can’t have a good nation.
      Without good Tories, you can’t have a good world.
      Without good Tories, you can’t have that kingdom of God we hear so much about.
      Do you want a good nation? Do you want a good world?
      Do you want that kingdom of God the Lord Jesus promised?
      Then get rid of your bad Tories — get rid of them
      And bring in the good Tories
      Because our good Tory count is low.
      And we can’t have that. No, sir.
      Not if we want a good world.
      We need the kingdom of God.
      We need what the Lord Jesus promised.
      Praise God! Praised be the kingdom of God!
      But don’t forget those good Tories!

    • ITQ Poet Laureate

      (Meant to be read in a lowkey-gearing-up-to-fiery African American Baptist preacher style.)

      While you’re doing that,
      While you’re thinking about that,
      I want to tell you a little story.
      I went in to see the doctor the other day
      And he told me my cholesterol was high.
      That’s what he said, my good doctor.
      He said my cholesterol was high, and that was bad.
      “But,” he said, my good doctor said,
      “Your good cholesterol is fine.”
      My good cholesterol is fine, but my bad cholesterol is high.
      So that’s how I learned one thing.
      I learned there was good cholesterol and bad cholesterol.
      That’s what the doctor said.
      And I thought, How about that?
      And it made me think about something I want to share with you today.
      There are Tories. Sure. There are Tories.
      But there’s all kinds of Tories.
      At least there’s two kinds of Tories.
      Just like there’s two kinds of cholesterol.
      Two kinds of Tories. Doctor didn’t say that, but it’s true.
      There’s bad Tories and there’s good Tories.
      And right now, ladies and gentlemen of this congregation,
      I submit to you, that our Tories are high.
      But there’s good Tories and there’s bad Tories.
      Our bad Tories are high, but our good Tories are low.
      And I submit to you, that what our nation needs
      What this world needs, for the kingdom of God to be at hand,
      What this world needs is good Tories.
      So don’t go saying there’s only one kind of Tory.
      We need the good Tories, just like we need the good cholesterol.
      We need good Tories, and we don’t need bad Tories.
      We need to get rid of the bad Tories and bring in the good Tories.
      That’s what the doctor said.
      He didn’t know it, but he meant it.
      Because without good Tories, you can’t have a good nation.
      Without good Tories, you can’t have a good world.
      Without good Tories, you can’t have that kingdom of God we hear so much about.
      Do you want a good nation? Do you want a good world?
      Do you want that kingdom of God the Lord Jesus promised?
      Then get rid of your bad Tories — get rid of them
      And bring in the good Tories
      Because our good Tory count is low.
      And we can’t have that. No, sir.
      Not if we want a good world.
      We need the kingdom of God.
      We need what the Lord Jesus promised.
      Praise God! Praised be the kingdom of God!
      But don’t forget those good Tories! Thank you!

      (Tried to post this a couple of times – are comments screwed somehow? Or am I blocked? Anyway, sorry if it comes through multiple times.)

      • http://macleans.ca kc

        Where can we get some of those good tories and what the hell are we going to do with the ones we have?

  • Zamprelli

    I don’t understand the reference. What’s a lettuce poem?

    • http://carnewsandviews.com jwl

      “Sing the names of the dead who brought us here, who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges, picked the cotton and the lettuce, built brick by brick the glittering edifices they would then keep clean and work inside of” … From today’s Inaugural Poem.

      Was that woman the poet laureate? Does the US even have a poet laureate?

      • SAB

        “On June 17, 2008, the Library of Congress announced Kay Ryan as the country’s sixteenth Poet Laureate. ” – Wikipedia

        Obama’s poet was requested by him. This is only the 4th poet to recite at a presidential inaug.

        • http://carnewsandviews.com jwl

          Thanks SAB. Had no idea US had poet laureate, only aware that UK has one.

          • Dante

            We have a Parliamentary Poet Laureate, too, though it’s a short term compared to the UK (which is lifelong, or used to be) and the US (ours is just two years, but I bet the American poet laureate serves for the whole Presidential term).

  • http://macleans.ca kc

    I think Obama was, in the interest of bipartisanship, reaching across the aisle. I think he realises he may have reached too far.

  • Sisyphus

    I enjoyed parts of it but, yes, Lowry was a bigger hit.

    And in the words of Anderson Cooper :- ” Some Presidents don’t have poets “.

  • http://macleans.ca kc

    “…after that speach it was wildly anti-climatic.” I’ll say! I wonder whether to blame the singer or the song?
    I think i”ll take Dr Johnstones[sp] advise on this one. ” I’d rather praise her poem than hear it again.[para]

    • http://macleans.ca kc

      Dr Johnson of course. Good job PW only studied Ps or i might have looked foolish.

  • Kevin

    Maya Angelou’s poem for Clinton’s first inauguration was amazing by contrast:

    http://poetry.eserver.org/angelou.html

  • Sisyphus

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