If we had known it was going to become
Steven Curtis Chapman Day, the Kentucky desk would've baked and/or eaten a cake yesterday.
Bad jobs news from Paducah.State of emergency in Evarts.April Madness in Aurora!Ones and dones: Thanks, GoHeath, for your
summary of last night's boys' games. ...
Coach Fudge's call for a Columbia "blue out" pulled the Adair County girls through at Taylor County in the 20th District, but the boys lost by two to the home team. ... Etown John over Radcliff North in girls' 17th. "
The John Hardin Lady Bulldogs made history against North Hardin in the regular season, but the Lady Trojans weren’t about to let it happen again in the postseason," writes Nathaniel Bryan in today's
News-Enterprise. ... Henderson County's boys play at home against Webster County tonight for the Sixth District championship, but
that's not the story getting the attention in Henderson. ... Russellvillians can now commence making their
travel plans to Bowling Green for
next week's Fourth Region tournaments. ...
Also on tap tonight:
From Paducah's Maiden Alley Cinema, it's the McCracken County district Poetry Out Loud competition. (You've got to figure
this kid to be the favorite out in the Harlan County district.) It is very, very excellent and appropriate that the Heath sophomore will be reciting
a Vachel Lindsay poem.
Vachel Lindsay got clobbered then and gets clobbered now for a lot of what he wrote, for a lot of different reasons. But let me say this: That guy was, as a great writing teacher at WKU used to put it, "a writing man," baby.
"General William Booth Enters Into Heaven" (50 stars) is just a masterful piece of work that literally makes my hands shake when I read it. Here's ... well, heck, here's the whole thing (hooray for public domain, and rest in peace, Vachel Lindsay):
[To be sung to the tune of The Blood of the
Lamb with indicated instrument]
I
[Bass drum beaten loudly.]
BOOTH led boldly with his big bass drum—
(Are you washed in the blood of the
Lamb?)
The Saints smiled gravely and they said:
"He's come."
(Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?)
Walking lepers followed, rank on rank,
Lurching bravoes from the ditches dank,
Drabs from the alleyways and drug fiends
pale—
Minds still passion-ridden, soul-powers frail:—
Vermin-eaten saints with mouldy breath,
Unwashed legions with the ways of Death—
(Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?)
[Banjos.]
Every slum had sent it half-a-score
The round world over. (Booth had groaned for more.)
Every banner that the wide world flies
Bloomed with glory and transcendent dyes.
Big-voiced lasses made their banjos bang,
Tranced, fanatical they shrieked and sang:—
"Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?"
Hallelujah! It was queer to see
Bull-necked convicts with that land make free.
Loons with trumpets blowed a blare, blare, blare
On, on upward thro' the golden air!
(Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?)
II
[Bass drum slower and softer.]
Booth died blind and still by Faith he trod,
Eyes still dazzled by the ways of God.
Booth led boldly, and he looked the chief
Eagle countenance in sharp relief,
Beard a-flying, air of high command
Unabated in that holy land.
[Sweet flute music.]
Jesus came from out the court-house door,
Stretched his hands above the passing poor.
Booth saw note, but led his queer ones there
Round and round the mighty court-house square.
Yet in an instant all that blear review
Marched on spotless, clad in raiment new.
The lame were straightened, withered limbs uncurled
And blind eyes opened on a new, sweet world.
[Bass drum louder.]
Drabs and vixens in a flash made whole!
Gone was the weasel-head, the snout, the jowl!
Sages and sibyls now, and athletes clean,
Rulers of empires, and of forests green!
[Grand chorus of all instruments. Tambourines to the foreground.]
The hosts were sandalled, and their wings were fire!
(Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?)
But their noise played havoc with the angel-choir.
(Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?)
O, shout Salvation! It was good to see
Kings and Princes by the Lamb set free.
The banjos rattled and tambourines
Jing-jing-jingled in the hands of Queens.
[Reverently sung, no instruments.]
And when Booth halted by the curb for prayer
He saw his Master thro' the flag-filled air.
Christ came gently with a robe and crown
For Booth the soldier, while the throng knelt down.
He saw King Jesus. They were face to face,
And he knelt a-weeping in that holy place.
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?Great
Paducah Sun story about
a gift to Murray from the City of the Big Shoulders.
Rest in peace,
Hunter S. Thompson, too.
It would've been fun to see what he wrote about this.Which, of course, leads us to
Owensboro's Johnny Depp. The end.
