Ooly Pop a Cow
for Bess and Molly
My brother Charles
brought home the news
the kids were saying
take a flying leap
and eat me raw
and be bop a lula.
Forty miles he rode
the bus there and back.
The dog and I met him
at the door, panting
for hoke poke, hoke
de waddy waddy hoke poke.
In Cu Chi, Vietnam,
I heard tapes somebody's
sister sent of wild thing,
I think I love you
and hey now, what's that
sound, everybody look what's ...
Now it's my daughters
bringing home no-duh,
rock out, whatever,
like I totally
paused, and like
I'm like ...
I'm like Mother, her hands
in biscuit dough,
her ears turning red
from ain't nothing butta,
blue monday, and
tutti frutti, aw rooty!
Commentary
David Huddle, (b. 1942, Ivanhoe, VA) was a parachutist in Vietnam. He lives in Vermont, where he writes fiction and essays as well as poetry. Today’s poem is from “Summer Lake”, published in 1999. It’s a simple and direct offering that uses language and popular music to personalize the passage of time, in just five short stanzas. Nothing spectacular, but nice nonetheless.
— Thomas
PS. Gene Vincent, Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, Little Richard, the Troggs, Buffalo Springfield… yeah.
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From the Wondering Minstrels mailing list, 1999–2008.
J. Henry Lewis · 10 April 2005
Hey There,
The poem title “Ooly Pop a Cow” brought back a memory of this phrase being in a Buchanan & Goodman record called “Buchanan & Goodman On Trial”. I have tried and tried in vain to remember what song that phrase “Ooly pop a cow pop a cow pop a cow cow” came from. Do you know? If you do, would you please e-mail me with it? I would greatly appreciate having this question answered. Thanks.
Henry
ps I have attached an mp3 of the phrase
“Ooly Pop A Cow Pop A Cow Pop A Cow Cow”.