Bolly Bolger - Hail fellow well met

By Jack Vaughan

Bolly Bolger is a fictional character. He is a man of and about his town much as Frank Skeffington who arose each morning to put a rose beneath the portrait of his deceased wife. On Bolger’s mantle is the glaring empty frame that held a photo of a fugitive brother. In this fragment from a larger work, Bolly is viewed by a trusted hod carrier, on the eve of a command performance. June 23, 2003. Updated Dec. 2003.

1. On the Eve

No man grows wise

without his share of winter

the wanderer poet said

and the governor

knew this from the first

of first principles

in this mismeasure of his winter

in the pit of his gut

the governor was the governor

in our mind

but not in state

he led the college now

waiting for the writ

the governor was reading

lips smiling duress

he read Auden, he read Cicero,

Voltaire

and McDonough the campus nobelist

always on the side table

nere on the shelf

but he also read the Courier Courante

though he abhor to admit

and in bold ink it read the writ was coming

and Bolger must go

now gavel-less.

His sadness was

Deep and vast

With the hounds of 60 minutes

And the avenging congressman burton on his heels

His wit would not escape him

Not his Jesuit silver tenorization

Brilliant communications

But harder it was to easily conjure

Lower it would ballast upward

The happy days

Gone.

2.

The happy days

here.

 

At the corn beef dinner of Irish pols

He’d shine – he'd remind

they were the best of guys

He knew the order of battle

 

They’d stack up

Waiting their chance

Fond memories of Howyadoin Billy

would give the cue

 

You could not die

If you followed oe deNucci

 

And John Healy’s still eating

He’s here on work release

Never misses a banquet good old John

 

I'll get around to introducing you

 

If you follow Connelly

Your a lead-pipe cinch

 

The pie is not all

That is minced

 

Republicans will speak

As the dinner is served

 

At the corn beef dinner steaming

of Irish pols  Bolger

he'd shine there with the best of guys.

 

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© Copyright 2004 Jack Vaughan.
Last update: 4/4/2004; 8:44:58 PM.