Monday, March 30, 2009

My political allusions are like banana stalks


Poetry Scores is now a non-profit in the eyes of the feds. That gives us another reason to stay out of politics.

But it's municipal election season here in St. Louis. Those of us who know something about city politics can't help but think about the people involved.

I think of an African (actually, Akan) proverb I once set to music: "If your body stinks, people will fart around you."

Translation: You will be known by your company. Birds of a feather flock together. If you are foul, you will attract foulness.

I think of this based on accounts of which elected officials sat with which political operatives at the mayoral forum on Sunday.

I scored this and a number of other African proverbs in a collage lyric with the band Eleanor Roosevelt.

Free mp3

"Banana Stalks"
(Matt Fuller, Chris King, Lij, John Minkoff)
Eleanor Roosevelt

From the record Crumbling in the Rain.

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Image of banana stalks from a newspaper in Kingston, Jamaica.

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