In case you haven’t seen, Neko Case has been running a contest, raffling off her red 1967 Mercury Cougar: http://www.nekocase.com/auction
All of the funds go to support 826 National. 826, founded in part by Dave Eggers of McSweeney’s, is a group of youth literacy nonprofits that run tutoring, writing, and publishing projects built around a deep passion for language, literature, education and writing. They do great work, empowering young people to find their voice. You can find out more about 826 National here: http://www.826national.org
Neko Case has been tweeting about the contest for the past few days and was challenging her followers to find their own ways to spread the word about it. So here is my contribution – it’s a poem made up almost entirely of the titles from Neko Case’s songs.
For 9 Little Places Called 826
Hold on, hold on my little bird. Maybe sparrow, the next time you say forever you’ll get that teenage feeling, like you are in the middle of a cyclone. When all is said and done, at last, you’ll make your widow’s toast, with a dirty knife and a red tide crashing at the shore. You, not the fox, brought this flood. But don’t worry, Jonny saw that number – he’ll be your star witness – just as soon as he removes his head from the lion’s jaw. Then, right when the fever hits, you’ll realize that this tornado loves you, and even while the magpie sings to the morning, vengeance will lie sleeping. You’ll put down the knife, and pick up the pen.
For everyone at 826 National, who inspire so many kids to pick up their pens. Thanks for the work you do.
To see a list of the song titles I used, visit: http://www.nekocase.com/lyrics
Josh Stearns 