Wednesday, April 20, 2005

The Legend of Vegetable Medley

In Columbia doth our tale begin
Of men and maids and tomes galore
Of scrolls and texts and words of yore
Writ down to tame the beast within

Among the throng, 5 knaves came forth
Each different, from lands afar
To seek the coif and gain the bar
And prove, with skill, their noble worth

These men soon formed, as if by fate
A council to ensure that they
Would prosper both at work and play
And perils, would negotiate

Eag'rest of these, young RCA
With energy that knew no bound
In argument he could so hound
A friend or foe and win the day

The Orb, all cool and staid above
Down in his cave would fume and chill
And to his tasks his flaccid will
He liciously applied with love

Vain Vindaloo, with pride would strut
A gait with not a modest step
His confidence he surely kept
Despite jokes for which he, the butt

CBK, an awkward lad
Dared try to fit on ample back
A silly, small, but heavy sack
Containing ev'ry book he had

A hero must each story have
And this one does not deviate
With ignorance his only hate
Rode Vegetable Medley, suffering's salve

Of lyre and lute did he partake
Sounds most obscure and dissonant
In composition confident
That Reich left intravers'ble wake

Rush, he would, to soundly bless
The fruits of men from Willowdale
When asked, could others be as hale
His answer surely would be, Yes

His mettle he did prove with ease
In mock battles on field and ice
No quarter would he give the vice
Of pride, but bring it to its knees

Much he had, in lair and steed
Moreso than others of his clan
In truth, he'd more than any man
The means to meet his ev'ry need

And so declared, like Kublai Khan
A place to call their Pleasure Dome
A clubhouse set inside his home
With merriment for ev'ry one

The council members would embark
Each Thursday eve through Saturday's
To seek their pleasure in the ways
Of spirits and nymphs dressed in dark

The goal of each nocturnal quest
To win the crown of B-O-K!
Find maidens to convince away
To share a warrior's nightly rest

They had adventures, this be true
Enough to fill a hundred verse
This bard, sadly through wretched curse
Hath only time to tell a few

A fete where CBK did dwell
Brought forth a multi varied lot
And when quite full of drink he got
In slumber CBK then fell

The Council, this, could not accept
And rudely entered quiet house
But poor CBK would not rouse
While downstairs secret lovers slept

Deterred, the Council did retire
To home to end the rapt'rous night
But on the way, a call to fight
When Medley flexed his drunken ire

And then the time at soirée poor
The Orb and CBK did flee
To seek the joys of fair city
And lithely writhe across a floor

Medley and Vindaloo set chase
Long time the manxome foes they sought
And when the rogues were finally caught
Medley demanded “plead your case”

The vagabonds explained their plight
Medley did grasp their reasons, yet
He would not let them soon forget
How they had left him in the blight

“J'accuse” cried Medley at the pair
“You left me!” his constant refrain
With drink his hurt he did maintain
While 'Loo, now taken, blessed the air

And so now the most crucial part
To learn just how it came to be
The name of Vegetable Medley
The Council to him did impart

Such revelry long hours would last
These sweats and efforts, although good
Create a hunger, and so would
Necessitate a warm repast

Enhungered our heroic band
Would give their fast an early break
Within the realm of Egg and Steak
Their health placed in Fate's fickle hand

CBK learned this lesson well
When ate he vittles from this store
And then from op'nings aft and fore
One whole week long he did expel

But frequently they did return
For pancake, waffle, and om'let
Their drunken minds would oft forget
The attendant intest'nal burn

One night upon a different course
Our hero followed famished wish
Compelled to choose a fateful dish
His namesake Medley did endorse

He ravished said meal heartily
And sang its virtues o'er and o'er
And when time came to leave through door
That which remained he took with glee

He held the package close to breast
A lonesome distance still remained
On dark road to-ward his domain
He walked and ate the tasty rest

One more was named here, by the by
When choosing entrée from menu
CBK oft would order two
When one, for most, would satisfy

This noble Council's end was sealed
When summer peeked its radiant face
Camaraderie was fast replaced
When peeps and romance were revealed

RCA became a friend
Of women lovely to the eyes
Their love for him he'd fantasize
Though he would get none in the end

The Orb assessed his social route
And lacking did he find this crew
A cooler brand of friend he drew
And roundly shut the others out

Vindaloo was eas'ly roped
By dour companion, in his need,
Who did not meet his lofty creed
And so in self-pity he moped

CBK soon after met
A lass that seemed a worthy match
But de-vi-ous plan she would hatch
To spend his funds and incur debt

Medley searched both far and wide
And found a princess, certainly
When meting suitors she would see
Only those with worthy ride

Anon, this girl he did endear
And envy did he well create
In those who chose a lesser mate
She hummed his anthem loud and clear

A knot was tied, made one from twain
But unbeknownst to Medley's mind
A shadow vile lurked just behind
The happiness that he would gain