New orleans Poems
The Alphabet of New Orleans
by Jeffrey Pipes Guice
“A” is forda alligator...
Who lives in da lagoon...
“B” is forda beignets...
Dat ya eat wit yo fingers...
Not some silver spoon...
“C” is forda crawfish...
Dat ya eat wit ya fingers, yea...
“D” is forda doberge cake...
Take an extra piece home...
......
Let It Rain
by Jeffrey Pipes Guice
Ya can’t stop da rain...
When it wantsta come down...
Especially in New Orleans...
Where people do drown...
Ya can dress up all pretty...
To getcha friendly going on...
But when it rains in New Orleans...
It might rain ‘til dawn...
......
Mardi Gras Ladders
by Jeffrey Pipes Guice
It’s an annual tradition...
For generations past...
This ain’t our first Mardi Gras...
And it won’t be our last...
We all arrived early...
At least a week or more…
To set up our Mardi Gras ladders...
Just like our parents did before...
......
My Mardi Gras Angel
by Jeffrey Pipes Guice
“Throw me something Mister!”
She hollered from the heavens up above...
Some pretty beads...
As she quietly pleaded...
Or maybe a turtle dove...
We lost her way too early...
She was a gift from God...
A beautiful child...
Both sweet and mild...
......
Historic New Orleans Streetcars
by Jeffrey Pipes Guice
The Historic New Orleans Streetcars
First drawn by horses in 1832...
Connected Lake Pontchartrain to the Mississippi River
Along beautiful Elysian Fields Avenue...
This was soon followed
By the Poydras-Magazine Line...
And then Lafayette (Jackson) and Nayades (St. Charles),
Totally by design...
......
Float Rider Blues
by Jeffrey Pipes Guice
It was my first time riding
In a Mardi Gras night parade
It was hard to hide this wonderful feeling
Of flying high as I stood and surveyed
The night was cool, and the music was funky
The mood was good, and the sky was clear
I was feeling excited to be riding on the float
As I grabbed myself yet another cold beer
......
A Movable Feast
by Jeffrey Pipes Guice
Ridin’ round New Orleans on my Vespa
With my baby holdin’ on real tight
Life should be nothin’ if not a movable feast
Lastin’ all day and trippin’ into da night
Headin’ down St Charles to the Quarters
Searchin’ for the freshest beignets
Wavin’ to the tourists on da streetcar
It’s gonna be one of dose days
......
Morning Call
by Jeffrey Pipes Guice
When the kids were all fed...
And after draining the bath water...
We would all climb into my dad’s car...
And head down to the French Quarter...
My parents enjoyed all the excitement...
After working those long days...
We’d head down to Morning Call...
For chocolate milk and beignets...
......
The Mardi Gras Fountain
by Jeffrey Pipes Guice
Who remembers when our parents...
After the dinner dishes were all put away...
Would discuss together as a family...
For that perfect ending of the day...
After we bathed and brushed our teeth...
Put on our clean footy pajamas...
We grabbed a bunch of warm blankets...
And fresh cocktails for the mommas...
......
Grandma’s Sayings
by Jeffrey Pipes Guice
Growing up in da city...
Our sayings were always witty...
We don’t mean nobody no harm...
So go away if your attitude is sh/tty...
My grandmother used to say them...
My parents said them, too...
My aunts and uncles said them...
So did everyone else I knew...
......
