These Graceless Things, Autumnals Most Now, With Apologies To Red Robin Poem by Warren Falcon

These graceless things, Autumnals most
now, now all einfalle*, footfalls of a life
gathering, guttered, muttering often enough
for a bit of daylight or, sounded tinnily enough,
'distraction fits', more like keeping the bit in
the mouth, letting the mane lead, tack the
tales, it, some of it all, keeps coming back
to me for reprise or mercy or even glad
surprise of at least a line, a phrase, an image,
an effortful stammer that is more than a
glance against the nog, nog, noggin' along -

with apologies to Red Robin**.

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*einfalle - German = thought; idea; invasion; raid; vision; insight; notion; bust; impulse; caprice; whim; intuition; instinct

**'with apologies to Red Robin' - riffs on, and refers to, a jaunty popular 1926 American song made famous by Al Jolson, 'When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along'.

My riff is 'nog, nog, noggin' along'
- a 'nog' is a small block or peg of wood, also a small cup (a shot) of strong booze
- a 'noggin' is English slang for a person's head as in 'the ball hit him in the noggin'

Here are the lyrics to the popular song...you can easily hear it on the internet:

[Verse 1]
I heard a robin this morning,
I'm feeling happy today
Goin‘ to pack my cares in a whistle,
And blow them all away.
What if I've been unlucky,
Really haven't a thing,
There's a time I always feel happy,
As happy as a king

[Verse 2]
Tho' rain may fall in the evening,
And rain may fall in the night
When the robin sings in the morning,
I know the sun is bright.
I keep still hear him,
Singin' up in a tree,
For the little angel of gladness,
Brings happiness to me.

[Chorus]
When the red, red, robin comes bob, bob, bobbin' along, along,
There'll be no more sobbin'
When he starts throbbin' his old sweet song,
Wake up, wake up you sleepy head,
Get up, get up, get out of bed,
Cheer up, cheer up, the sun is red,
Live, Love, laugh and be happy,
What if I've been blue now I'm walkin' through fields of flow'rs,
Rain may glisten but still I listen for hours and hours.
I'm just a kid again doin' what I did again singing a song
When the red, red, robin come bob, bob, bobbin' along.
When the long.