I know everyone is posting moving, relevant poems right now. But I thought a little levity would be more useful. Here are some favorites from a list of “Rules of the Blues:”
- The Blues is not about choice. You stuck in a ditch, you stuck in a ditch–ain’t no way out.
- Blues cars: Chevys, Fords, Cadillacs, and broken-down trucks. Blues don’t travel in Volvos, BMWs or SUVs. Most blues transportation is a Greyhound bus or a southbound train. Walkin’ plays a major part in the blues lifestyle. So does fixin’ to die.
- Blues can take place in New York City but not in Hawaii or any place in Canada. Hard times in Minneapolis or Seattle is probably just clinical depression. Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City are still the best place to have the Blues.
- You can’t have no Blues in a office or a shopping mall. The lighting is wrong. Go outside to the parking lot or sit by the dumpster.
- You have the right to sing the Blues if:
a) You older than dirt
b) You blind
c) You shot a man in Memphis
d) You can’t be satisfied - If you ask for water and your darlin’ give you gasoline, it’s the Blues.
There are more, but you get the idea. If you have to stay in your house or apartment to flatten the virus curve, it’s not the Blues.