Danny was a unique character having been
The youngest prisoner in San Quentin for
A period of time during his overall 25 years
Of incarceration in Q and in other California
Institutions of higher learning plus time
In the old federal lockup in Marion Illinois.
When I asked Danny how he felt when they
Welded him into his cell he laughed and said
That although he couldn't get out they couldn't
Get in either so you could say it was neither
Fish nor fowl. That's the way he always was,
Cool as a cucumber with a smile on his face.
One day however Danny seemed a bit out of
Sorts so I asked what the matter might be.
He said, 'I was in my car on La Brea Avenue
'When a good looking girl pulled up beside me
'And said I should pull over to the curb because
'She wanted to talk to me so I did as she said.'
He continued, 'When I pulled over to the curb
'She said her car was falling apart and she
'Asked me to rent a car for her since she didn't
'Have any credit cards or even a driver's license.
'I rented a car for her but then she didn't bring
'The car back, she just kept driving around in it.'
He went on, 'When I was notified of the problem
'By the rent-a-car company I went looking for her
'And when I found her I said hey you didn't bring
'The car back and now they are charging me
'Fifty dollars a day or whatever it is plus the car
'Is on my insurance so what if you cracked it up?'
As he went on I noticed a small scar on his nose
And tempting though it was to ask after its origin
I thought better of it. Now here is the funny part.
The next day I was accidentally whacked on the
Nose by a fellow opening the door to Starbucks
And the upshot was I got a scar just like Danny's.
What are the odds of getting whacked on the nose
So soon after seeing a scar on the nose of another?
Einstein wrote, 'Die Quantenmechanik ist achtung-
Gebietend aber eine innere Stimme sagt mir dass
Der Alte nicht würfelt.' Very well! But instead of
The Old One I speak of the Great Hippopotamus.
I like the style of this poem and the use of such phrases as "now here is the funny part" and "what are the odds." Refreshing.
Posted by: Jill Newnham | December 12, 2020 at 09:24 AM
Really enjoyed the poem, though isn't what Einstein famously said that "god doesn't play dice with the universe"? Can you write a poem about that?
Posted by: Tony Paris | December 15, 2020 at 11:04 AM
Hi, thanks for your message and I'm glad you enjoyed the poem. In writing it I tried to research the quote which, as you can see on the link below, gradually took on a life of its own. The first and most complete version of the quote seems to have been in a 1926 letter:
Die Quantenmechanik ist sehr achtung-gebietend. Aber eine innere Stimme sagt mir, daß das doch nicht der wahre Jakob ist. Die Theorie liefert viel, aber dem Geheimnis des Alte bringt sie uns kaum näher. Jedenfalls bin ich überzeugt, daß der nicht würfelt.
I love the phrase "der wahre Jakob" -- "the true Jacob" -- which I had never seen before and I would have liked to use it in the poem but couldn't see a way to do it. Meanwhile I did take liberties with the dice quote, which possibly exists in several versions.
Here's the link that I found most helpful:
https://www.quora.com/What-were-the-exact-words-that-Albert-Einstein-said-in-German
Best wishes,
Mitch
Posted by: mitch sisskind | December 16, 2020 at 01:31 PM
Thank you for these helpful links. I always wondered what Einstein meant.
Posted by: Tony Paris | December 17, 2020 at 07:23 AM
I, too, love the "true Jacob." As opposed to what? Not Esau, a brute but true to his nature. More likely the "true Jacob" is he who has wrestled the angel of god to a standstill, been wounded, and won the blessing of a new name.
Posted by: David Lehman | December 17, 2020 at 08:17 AM