bang Bang: A Novel by Lynn F Hoffman

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Powell's Books

What Happened to Butzville, New Jersey

There’s an ancient quandry on the edge of our town

Where they used to mine shocks and dismay

Now the youngsters go to the pit and climb down

To swim in the water and play.

We have an event called the big city haul

and each year when I was a kid,

the peep holes who didn't have joy in their lives

would defer to the peep holes who did.

So for one amusing day in the spring

the Didn'ts gave in to the Dids.

Which led to the most miraculous fling:

Morality went on the skids.

And all of the folks who didn't use theirs

And who worried what I did with mine.

Became suddenly, blazingly, fully aware

of the pleasures of smoking and dancing and wine.

Then all of the prophets of hurtue and right

Who were concerned about sloth and decay

were proven incontrovertibly right

as we sunk to the revel we live at today.

That led to the brewage treatment plant

Where they brew our municipal ale

and a fellow named Wood and another called Kant

stay locked up in the town's only jail.

There’s a puzzle of land near the muddle of town

Where we all used to gather and pray

Now the elders bring wine and sit themselves down

And laugh at the end of the day.