Tuesday Morning Patriots -- 2020

I wrote this song on the fly while working with Wisconsin Democrats for the 2004 Presidential Election.  Hundreds of us were at a huge high school gym outside Milwaukee making phone calls to voters, urging votes for John Kerry for President (running against George W. Bush) and Russ Feingold for Senate (running against Tom Michaels).  

We had spent most of the weekend canvassing door-to-door, handing out literature and getting information about likely voters for our candidates so that they would be reminded to vote on Election Day, and also finding out who might need rides to the polls.  I was doing similar work in Illinois.

After hours of this we assembled in a large high school gym to enjoy refreshments and hear from speakers, including the candidates who were making the rounds of these events.  

Then the Master of Ceremonies asked if anyone would like to speak and to tell why this election was so important to them.  Several people spoke and their stories were wonderful!  While I was listening I was also writing on a scrap of paper.  

After a while there was a lull in volunteers, so I went up to the microphone and asked if I could sing a song.  The M.C. asked if it was clean!  I handed him the notes I'd just written and he asked me my name and announced that we had "our own Joni Mitchell" to sing for us, and handed me the mike.  

I quickly taught the crowd the "chorus" of "Tuesday Morning Patriots" and invited them to sing along with with each one.  Right away they were singing along with every chorus, clapping their hands and stamping their feet time!  The applause was terrific!   I'm happy if it inspired these wonderful people who came out to work for this election and so many others!  

Later I was thrilled to receive such a kind note from renowned songwriter-singer Joe Glazer -- also posted below.  

I think this song would be appropriate for 2020 as well, so I'm reprinting it here.  I must say that even though he was not our candidate back in 2004, George W. Bush looks pretty darned good today! 

Original music is printed below but music for Battle Hymn of the Republic works too! Try it! 

Tuesday Morning Patriots in 2020*

Our loyal troops in uniform are on the line for you, 

They do their job at any cost, I’m grateful that they do. 

But all of us can join the fight wherever we may be, 

‘Cause Tuesday Morning Patriots will keep our country free. 

Chorus (to be sung after each verse): 

Yes, Tuesday Morning Patriots are marching to the polls, 

To exercise their voting rights with fire in their souls, 

With ballots, not with bullets, 
They will send their message clear, 

Our country needs good leadership, 
The time is now, it’s here! 

Our right to vote has been secured by fire, blood and sweat, 

Millions struggled, fought and died, and we must not forget! 

Don’t let your country slip away, just let your voice be heard! 

Just SHOUT into that ballot box, they’ll hear your every word! 

Chorus: 

Never say that one small vote can’t turn this land around, 

One plus one, a million strong, will make a mighty sound! 

You have the choice: do nothing, and nothing's what you'll get, 

But take a small step to the polls, you'll make a winning bet!

Chorus: 

Make no complaint November fourth* when we get the news,

Of who will be sworn in to lead and who gets walking shoes;
Don't wait! November third* join voters proud to serve,
And let the slackers who stay home get just what they deserve!

Chorus: 

------------------------------------------

* Lyrics (c) 2020 Joan D. Levin

Lead sheets for original music are printed below.  

Thanks to Laura Fenster for the nice printed one!  

 

I sent this song to Joe Glazer and received this lovely response!

 

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BACKSTORY FOR TUESDAY MORNING PATRIOTS

 The post Tuesday Morning Patriots has a little back story!

On a lovely early autumn Sunday in 2004 I was in Kenosha, Wisconsin working for Democrats in the upcoming election.  John Kerry was the Democratic candidate for President running against George W. Bush.  

We had spent most of the weekend going door to door canvassing and handing out literature for Democratic candidates -- not only for the presidency but for state and local offices as well.   

This was an area that could go either way, and we went from door to door ringing doorbells, handing out literature, and asking people whom they were likely to support.   With this information our Election Day workers could go to homes likely to support Democrats, reminding them to the polls, and checking to see if they needed rides or any other assistance to do this. 

After many hours of going door to door that day, we had assembled in a large and were enjoying refreshments and a program with several speakers, including some candidates, giving some pep talks.  After this, the emcee at the microphone asked if anyone in the audience would like to speak.  Several people were called on to come up to the microphone and gave some short pep talks.  

During this time a song idea came into my head.  It was to the tune of Battle Hymn of the Republic (that's how most songs come into my head). I wrote down the words as they came to me and quickly made up another tune.  

Then I raised my hand and was called on.  I ran up to the microphone and gave the emcee my name (Joan Levin) and said I'd written a song I'd like to sing.  He asked me if it had bad words and I assured him it didn't, so he announced over the loudspeaker that "our own Joni Mitchell is going to sing for us!)

I explained that the song had a chorus and sang through it once, inviting them to sing along after every verse.  

By the second verse everyone was singing along and clapping and stamping their feet!  It was amazing!  A really energized crowd at the end of a long working day!

Sadly - it wasn't enough to put John Kerry into office - but the song is posted here for anyone who wants to use it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SCHOOL PRAYER FOR 1981 IN THE REAGAN ERA

A spoof in the style of the Federal Register -- on the Occasion of the Election of President Ronald Reagan in 1980.  (He's looking pretty good from here in 2020!)

Notice of Proposed Prayermaking

Notice is hereby given pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act of the promulgation of a School Prayer to be recited daily in all schools, public and private, in the United States and Territories.  

Comments should be dropped in the nearest trashcan.

The deadline for comments has Passed.

This shall henceforward be known as 

"The National School Prayer" 

The text appears below.

Proposed School Prayer

Lord, bless our Nation, keep us strong!

We’re happy Reagan's come along!

He will lead our country well, 

And blast her foes right straight to Hell!

Like Dillinger or Willie Sutton, 

Keep his finger on the button,

He will keep us safe from danger,

Without allies, our Lone Ranger!

Lord, we’re glad he’ll give the ax,

To every sort of federal tax,

And Dad and Mom are here to say,

Their jobs were silly anyway!

Our schools may start to crack and crumble,

But we’ll take heart in cannon rumble!

And if we’re sick without insurance?

We’ll trust “no left behind” assurance!  

Clean air is boring, give us smog,

And putrid water for our grog,

We won’t complain, or howl, or pick,

We love the taste of arsenic!    

Please send those pipelines where you will,

Let oil through mighty channels spill, 

Wild beasts won’t make our engines run,

So drive ‘em out by force or gun!

And Lord, we’d like our Pres to look,

Whenever we check out a book,

And when our cell phone starts to ring,

We hope he’ll hear ‘most everything!

The Ten Commandments are the best,

They’ll give our laws that extra zest,

On Saturdays, we’ll rest, that’s all!

No football games; no shopping mall!

And most of all, we pray to you,

In class, at lunch, and recess too:

Lord, bless our school, and keep it free,

Of children who don’t look like me!  

© 1981 Joan D. Levin

TWO TOOTH POEMS

These verses memorialize the March, 2020 removal of my upper left second molar which had a fractured root.   They are dedicated to my dental health providers and to dental health providers everywhere!

The numbers here are part of a system used by dentists to identify teeth - beginning with #1 -- the upper right third molar, proceeding around the upper teeth, then dropping directly down to the lower LEFT third molar -- tooth #17, and continuing in the opposite direction so that tooth #32 is directly beneath tooth #1.   

To the dentist, however, left and right are reversed from the way you may experience it, so when the dentist looks in your mouth, he or she sees tooth #1 to his or her LEFT, and proceeds from left to right across the upper teeth and from right to left across the lower teeth.  

Got that?  If not, I've added a handy chart at the foot of this post to guide you!

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Two Tooth Poems by Joan Levin — March, 2020

Goodbye Number Fifteen -- Part 1

Joan Levin, 3/10/20

You’ve been right there with me since I was a teen,

And now you are leaving, dear Number Fifteen!

I brushed you and flossed you, as well suits a Queen,  

But those days are over now, Number Fifteen!

There’ll be a big hole where you lately have been,

My tongue will search vainly for Number Fifteen!

I’m sorry you broke!  This world can be mean!

Requiescat in Pace, dear Number Fifteen!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Goodbye Number Fifteen -- Part 2

Joan Levin, 3/17/20

With Fifteen gone, there is no peace,

The battles in my mouth don’t cease

Two smashes Thirty-one, by golly, 

Just like a Frazier bout with Ali!

Fourteen vs. Nineteen — it’s not funny,

It’s just like Dempsey banging Tunney!

These battles leave me limp with fright, 

And there’s no referee in sight!  

                        The International Tooth Numbering System

This chart is easier to understand but unfortunately has a typo in which the number 32 appears twice, and so 31, which figures intros poem, is not correctly labeled! 

The numbers are accurate on this chart but it's harder to see the labels for the quadrants.  But they are the same as above and No. 31 is correctly labeled. 

Note: To see tooth related posts in this blog just search on "molar."

URBS IN HORTO, OR, CITY IN A GARDEN

I wrote these lyrics in the early 1980's during one of our many campaigns to save our parks from becoming traffic thoroughfares, cement pavilions and brick palaces.    Chicago's motto is "Urbs in Horto," or City in A Garden; hence the title.  

Musician Ron Combs wrote original music which I don't have here,  and a couple of professional singers actually performed this on one of the morning drive time radio shows.  I don't have this music but it would work with a lot of well-known tunes!

   

FOR CONSTITUTION DAY IN HONOR OF JULY 17, 1787

The Bill of Rights in a Nutshell

Joan D. Levin 

Just take to heart what’s written here,

And I will bet a dollar,

That you can be the same as me:

A near-Constitutional scholar!

The First Amendment guards our rights,

To gather, speak and pray.

The Second lets us fire off shots,

And helps the NRA.

The Third Amendment keeps our houses,

Free of sleeping troops.

The Fourth protects our privacy,

From governmental snoops.

The Fifth Amendment guarantees,

Some values tried and true: 

Life, liberty and property,

Secured by process due.

It also makes it very clear,

That no one else can take,

Confessions pouring from our mouths,

That we don’t want to make.

In crimes, the Sixth requires the State,

To show its grounds for trial,

By means of an indictment,

For admission or denial,

And promptly prove your lawlessness,

To jury peers, and then,

Once the trial is over, they

Can’t have at you again!

And you may cross-examine

All the folks who wish you ill,

And bring supporters for your side

(Regardless of their will.)

And best of all, a lawyer comes

To polish up your star.

The government may pay, how nice,

For this supports the bar!

The Seventh calls for civil juries,

The Eighth says “Have a heart!” 

"Keep untried poor folk out of jail," 

And “Torture isn’t smart!” 

Nine protects remaining rights,

That are not listed here.

And Ten says states may legislate,

Where this pact isn’t clear.

So now you have the Bill of Rights,

In brash and breathless rhyme.

Now aren’t you glad I wasn’t with

The Framers at that time?! 

(c) Joan D. Levin, 2017

Written in observance of U. S. Constitution Day commemorating the adoption of the U. S. Constitution, September 17, 1787.
See: https://www.constitutionday.com

###

FOR ARIANE AND ROB AT RAW THANKSGIVING 2019

Green Gratitude is our annual Raw Thanksgiving -- 
This year it was held on November 9 at a community center in Evanston.  As they do each year, Ariane and her husband Rob make it such a wonderful event!  
We sang this for them this year as we did in 2017!

Thanksgiving Tribute to Ariane – 

Tune: Battle Hymn of the Republic  

Sing chorus after each verse. 

Audience joins on WE THANK YOU.

We are gathered for GREEN GRATITUDE.

And having lots of fun, 

We’ve dined on dishes raw and vegan, 

Each and every one!

But we’ve one more thing to do, 

And now let’s do it, everyone!

Let’s say THANK YOU Ariane!

For all we’ve learned from you we thank you!

For all you’ve organized we thank you!

For this and so much more we thank you,

We THANK YOU Ariane!

You know she planned this evening, 

Found the space and did promotion, 

She lined up food and volunteers, 

With minimal commotion!

But you’ve only seen the surface, 

All the rest would fill an ocean!

Let’s say THANK YOU Ariane!

For all we’ve learned from you we thank you

For all you’ve organized we thank you

For this and so much more we thank you,

We thank you Ariane

In the summer in the parks, 

And on this dark November eve, 

She has built a strong community, 

That’s happy to receive, 

So many gifts of health and wellness, 

We can scarce believe, 

Let’s say THANK YOU Ariane!

For all we’ve learned from you we thank you

For all you’ve organized we thank you

For this and so much more we thank you,

We thank you Ariane

She can fight against an industry,

That spews out GMO,

She can get the people marching,

She can make a protest grow!

And when Monsanto says “Oh STOP,” 

She quickly answers "GO!"

Let’s say THANK YOU Ariane!

For all we’ve learned from you we thank you

For all you’ve organized we thank you

For this and so much more we thank you,

We thank you Ariane

This evening has been perfect,

A ThanksLIVING dream come true,

And we want to thank another one who brought it all to you!

Rob, you’ve proved that one and one can be.

A whole lot more than two!

Thank you ROB AND ARIANE!

Rob and Ariane we thank you,

Rob and Ariane we thank you,

Rob and Ariane we thank you,

Thank you Rob and Ariane!

###

My Birthday vs Mother's Day

A birthday on the twelfth of May,
Presents an awful choice.
It falls so close to Mothers' Day,
It seems to lose its voice.

What other May 12 babies do,
I can only guess,
But I've a bias, that is true,
That I shall now confess:

I've always looked at Mothers' Day,
As a commercial scam,
Nice enough, but BIRTHDAY,
Is the day that says "I AM!"

I do not need a birthday cake,
That I can't even eat,
A gift is not what it would take,
Nor party, I'd repeat.

But an e-mail, call or birthday card,
Just suits me to a T,
Or something, if it's not too hard,
To some fine charity.

Egotistical you say?
Well, call it selfish too --
But it's my day, and it's a day,
I'd love to hear from you!

Love,  Mom

JOHNS HOPKINS GRADUATION POEM -- 1989

                         Joan D. Levin 2114 South     4515 Willard Avenue                                          Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815

(301) 654-1989

May 25, 1989

To Dr. Edyth Schoenrich, with thanks for helping me into a wonderful salmon-colored hood and a wonderful education!

Salmon stands for public health,

But every gal and fella,

Who earned a hood last night must think:

“Could this mean Salmonella?”

That same infectious dish that graced,

Our Epi One lab table,

Is brought to mind by salmon hood,

How else translate this label?

Somewhere the wag who dreamed this up,

Must chuckle at the pun.

And I do too!  It’s always best,

To end a job with fun!

So thank you for a super time, 

I loved the convocation!

Keep hot things hot and cold things cold;

Lukewarm won’t heal a nation!

###

For Beth Damon's Birthday 2017

An Ode to Beth’s Birthday!

By Joan Levin, March 5, 2017

We watch as the decades roll by so fast,

How quickly the future turns into the past!

We’re taught that our days are numbered, but then,

We squander this treasure again and again!

Some fill up their days with meaningless strife,

While others add value each day of their life,

Beth is one of that fortunate few,

Who somehow – instinctively? – knows what to do!

Work, friends and family, personal care,

Beauty and grace, all of them there!

So even when birthdays add up to large digits,

It’s clear that our Beth neither fusses nor fidgets!

She goes right on living, days without end,

Mother and Grandma, and (I’m glad to say) friend!

Her counsel is wise, generosity ample,

She’s never a preacher, but leads by example!

So although this greeting is late to arrive,

Please treat it as though it were here on March Five!

Let’s celebrate now, give great cheers and then,

Next year we’ll do it all over again!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And this was for the lovely Sarong for her birthday luncheon! 

-----Original Message-----
From: Joan Levin <jdlevin@bright.net>
To: Beth Damon <cachi222@aol.com>
Sent: Sat, Mar 18, 2017 10:43 pm
Subject: Not another poem!!! This should have been included!

Sarong

A comely young birthday girl (who's counting years?)

Whose family and friends all greet her with cheers,

Says "I have lived large, and I have lived long,

And that is because I wear a sarong!"

Her children and grandchildren seek her advice,

On how to be happy and healthy and nice. 

She answers "you must learn to tell right from the wrong,

And never forget to wear a sarong!"

What ever the dress codes, she still looks appealing,

Stylish and svelte, but not too revealing.

Skirts may be short, or calf-length, or long,

But she's always in style, wrapped in a sarong!

In conclusion I wish happy birthday to you,

And I hope this advice will bring happiness too:

Whatever you do, keep on singing this song, 

"You can never go wrong if you wear a sarong!"

### 

Carol Moseley Braun's Birthday, 2017

For Carol Moseley Braun's Birthday August 6, 2017

A Verse for Carol,

or Why August 16 should be a National Holiday!

You may be a Democrat and an agrarian,

Now add to that list, septuagenarian!

If shy about bragging you’ve reached that Big Seventy,

Just tell folks you’re going on Sixty-Eleventy!

For while you’re no longer a slip of a lass,

The World’s taken note: you’ve got plenty of class!

And though years hurry by, too swiftly to capture,

Through them all you have grown in wisdom and stature.

So look back in pride on the good you have done,

Then look forward to victories still to be won.

Most of all for your birthday, one more thing to say,

Have a splendidly joyful and cake-endowed day!

With much love and admiration,

Joan Levin, August 16, 2017

Rob and Ariane in Arizona, 2015

In the winter of 2015 I had a great time with Ariane and Rob in their Arizona winter home!   It was a week of healthful meals, lots of hikes, workouts at Ariane's gym --  Wow did I come home in great shape!

Some opt for sunny ski-slopes

Or seek a Florida tan,

But nothing beats a healthful stay,

With Rob and Ariane!

The wraps and bright green smoothies,

Feed body and the soul,

And for good measure we spend time,

On some great worthwhile goal!

Ariane keeps me moving,

No time for lazy slouching,

Yoga, Weights and Body Pump,

And yet I’m still not grouching!

But most of all I treasure,

Your friendship tried and true,

So Ariane, and Rob, again,

My heartfelt thanks to you!

###

For Nancy deGrazia's birthday, 2012

(This was for Vic deGrazia's wife, the former Nancy Shlaes.  I'd given her a Kindle Gift certificate because the kids said she had just gotten a Kindle. )

Something neat and not too fancy

Erudite is right for Nancy!

This is not to jibe or heckle,

It’s just to say that she’s got sekhl*

She’s got the class, she’s got the looks,

And as we know, she’s got the books!

And that she has, an awful lot!

So what to get that she ain’t got?

Ah, cyber-living saves the day --

It looks like Kindle’s here to stay!

So pick and choose and when you’re done,

Add this to your Birthday fun!

*Wisdom, common sense.

April 15, 2012