Love those transcendental musical moments.
Back in 1989, a buddy of mine, named Ernie, wanted to turn me on to brook trout fishing on the Michigan UP and took me up there for about five days. It was a blast. We stayed in this rustic cabin place in the Hiawatha National Forest, a really wonderful place with wilderness abounding.
When I got back, I wrote a satirical poem about my experience, loosely built around Longfellow's "Song of Hiawatha."
There is one section of that poem I'll share with you guys. I had my F-44 with me and one night grabbed it, some beer and other refreshments, and sat about 70 yards away on a picnic table so I wouldn't disturb anybody in the cabins. Perfect night. Starry sky. And I just wailed away, with many breaks for refreshments, for several hours. It was one of those nights where I thought I was playing and singing at the top of my game.
Here is the section of the poem. If anyone can relate, that's cool....
"Hiawatha drank a 6-pack and he smoked upon his peace pipe,
And he strummed upon his guitar, playing loudly on the hill side.
All of gods of heaven, all the forest creatures,
All the stars above him, and fish beneath the water
As far as Gitchee Gumee, cursed Hiawatha's music.
For the drunken singing lasted after all the U.P. locals
Lay sleeping in their bedrooms. After even crazy Ernie
Dreamed of brookie streams in heaven
With trout the size of footballs feeding frenzied in the morning.
Then a noisy dog came barking, and he startled Hiawatha,
Who grabbed his axe and hastened rather quickly to the cabin.
For he thought it was a badger coming at him through the forest,
And he knew it was good wisdom to be better safe than sorry.
When the tourists climbed the hill slope and reclaimed their barking mongrel,
Hiawatha sat and wondered what else they could be doing at one-thirty in the morning,
Save lusting by the lake shore, for they were a youthful couple.
And he wondered if his singing had disturbed their sweet love-making,
Causing fits of sputtered laughter to interrupt their kisses.
And if in retaliation they had sikked their dog upon him.
To buy them time to finish, without the lousy music."
