![\"New](\"https:\/\/images.squarespace-cdn.com\/content\/v1\/5225e775e4b0419ba4d7f35f\/1558532025270-7YL207VE9UII1X1R7EWS\/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kIwMA6bPPJ9ueWGmZx9WBc1Zw-zPPgdn4jUwVcJE1ZvWQUxwkmyExglNqGp0IvTJZUJFbgE-7XRK3dMEBRBhUpx-gxhox-5Grybi9uj_ubWL_fSKSEQR6KePwdt-ttxJXuLlotVNwUopZtuOLRmSuNg\/Train+sign.jpg\")
<\/p>\nI am a shameless eavesdropper. So bad in fact, that I\u2019ll often shush Curtis (who does not talk much anyway) so I can focus on other diner\u2019s conversations. Yes, I\u2019m that bad\u2026
\nNew Haven Train Sign<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Which may be why an old sing-along-in-the-car song, called “Humoresque” aka “Passengers Will Please Refrain”, has long been one of my favorites. Set to the tune of Dvo\u0159\u00e1k’s Humoresque Number 7, it begins with a New Haven Railroad toilet sign and ends with “If Sherman\u2019s horse can stand it, so can you” and in between are snippets of conversation.<\/p>\n
Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas and Yale law professor Thurman Arnold take full credit for the \u201cBawdy Song.\u201d In his autobiography, Go East, Young Man<\/em> (pp. 171\u201372), Douglas notes, “Thurman and I got the idea of putting these memorable words to music, and Thurman quickly came up with the musical refrain from Humoresque.” Because I know you\u2019re curious, here are the abridged lyrics:<\/p>\n \u201cPassengers will please refrain \u2014 https:\/\/lyricstranslate.com\/en\/oscar-brand-humoresque-passengers-will-please-refrain-lyrics.htm<\/p>\n Your Poem Could Be A Song, too!<\/p>\n Instructions:<\/p>\n Go somewhere crowded (preferably public) with a pen and paper. Jot down snippets of conversations. Or, if you can\u2019t do that, brainstorm greetings\u2014all the ways\/languages\/terms we use to say hello, goodbye, or thank you. Arrange and rearrange the terms to create a poem with a melodic, interesting\u2014maybe surprising order. Title your poem \u201cConversations\u201d with the location and date. For example: Conversations at Starbucks, May 22.<\/p>\n Go Forth and Eavesdrop!<\/p>\n *Kelly Bennett <\/a>and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge over 1100 days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What They Said . . . I am a shameless eavesdropper. So bad in fact, that I\u2019ll often shush Curtis (who does not talk much anyway) so I can focus on other diner\u2019s conversations. Yes, I\u2019m that bad\u2026 New Haven Train Sign Which may be why an old sing-along-in-the-car song, called “Humoresque” aka “Passengers Will … Continue reading “Poetry Challenge #88”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cindyfaughnan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1011"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cindyfaughnan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cindyfaughnan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cindyfaughnan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cindyfaughnan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1011"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.cindyfaughnan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1011\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1108,"href":"https:\/\/www.cindyfaughnan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1011\/revisions\/1108"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cindyfaughnan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cindyfaughnan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cindyfaughnan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nFrom flushing toilets while the train
\nIs in the station. Darling, I love you!
\nWe encourage constipation
\nWhile the train is in the station
\nMoonlight always makes me think of you.
\nIf the woman\u2019s room be taken,
\nNever feel the least forsaken,
\nNever show a sign of sad defeat.
\nTry the men\u2019s room in the hall,
\nAnd if some man has had the call,
\nHe\u2019ll courteously relinquish you his seat.
\nIf these efforts all are vain,
\nThen simply break a window pane-
\nThis novel method used by very few.
\nWe go strolling through the park
\nGoosing statues in the dark,
\nIf Sherman\u2019s horse can take it, why can\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n\nSet the timer for 7 minutes.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Start writing!
\n<\/strong><\/h3>\nDon\u2019t think about it too much; just do it. <\/strong><\/h3>\n