LaTuna Prison ~ November 1969

From left: Zoomer Roberts, Patti Allen, Charlie McDonald, Ted Taylor

On Robin Williams and the Falling of Stars

Beloved entertainers touch us on a personal level. They make us laugh and cry. They accompany us through the highs and lows of our lives, and they have a special place in our cherished memories. No, they don't know us, but we feel that we know them. So when one of them leaves us, it is a personal loss, and we grieve. And because they are loved by millions, their passing takes precedent over the hard news of the day, which -- although it may be more critical in the scheme of things -- usually involves persons with whom we have not emotionally bonded. That's why you're hearing so much about Robin Williams today. His was a death in many families. Requiescat in pace.

Zoomer Roberts
12 August 2014

Grand Ole Opry Pioneers

An overview of early Opry performers by Zoomer Roberts
Broadcast 26 July 2014 on KTEP radio
Your host is Gregg Carthy

 

A Tribute to Pete Seeger

Zoomer Roberts: vocal, harmonica & commentary
Buddy Winston: guitar
Robin Russell & Ophelia Botham: harmony vocals

from the KTEP Folk Fury broadcast of 22 Feb. 2014
your host is Gregg Carthy

Cell Phones

"Cell phones! Bah! The phone belongs at the house -- plugged into the wall!"

The old man leaned forward in his rocking chair and spat a wad of tobacco juice at a weathered spittoon, which it entered with a dull clang. Wiping his mouth on his shirt sleeve, he resumed rocking.

"These dayum people," he grumbled. "They think the whole world's their livin' room. They carry those dayum phones around and talk everywhere -- at the store, at the pitcher show, in the cafe..."

He spat again. "Hell, they drive down the street yappin' on the dayum things. They'll run over you!"

His eyes narrowed. "In my day, you did your callin' in a phone booth, where no one could hear you. You could make a phone call for a nickel -- if you HAD a nickel."

"People were more considerate then," he mused. The old man's voice trailed off, and the only sound was the slow creaking of the rocking chair. He gazed at a long-ago horizon and sighed.

23 April 2014

A Dentis Tree Grows In Oz

Zoomer had dental work done today.
On the bright side, it resulted in this collaboration with Jim Kalafus.
(introduction by Ophelia Botham)

Scrape scrape here, drill drill there
And a roll of dental floz
That certain air of dental care
In the merry old land of Oz

Chip chip here, scratch scratch there
sends a shooting pain through my jaws.
That's how we hack the plaque away
In the merry old land of Oz.

Cut cut here, yank yank there,
with forceps and pliers and saws.
That how we take decay away
in the merry old land of Oz.

We get your jaw all dulled with Novocain.
take two hours to drill
and by then you're in pain ...
So we numb you again.

Drill down deep 'til the blood does seep
Into a wad of gauze
And dribble spittle on your bib
In the merry old land of Oz

We will drill and drill and drill until you howl
Then we'll tell you that
you need a root canal
(Give him a towel!)

Crown crown here. Implant there.
Ten thousand bucks in your maw.
That's how we drain your pay away
in the merry old land of Oz.

Family Reunion ~ June 1998

A family reunion is hairy
We gather at the cemetery
Let us not dawdle or tarry
You may be the next one we bury

Zoomer Roberts
1 March 2014

Good morning, Carl!

I didn't know Carl Isminger well, but I always said "hello" to him on Sunday mornings. He sat on the right, close to the back, reading his Bible. I would turn down the bulletins proffered at the door so my right hand would be free to shake his as I passed by.

One Sunday he told me in great detail how Detroit re-tooled itself to make jeeps, tanks and bombers during World War II -- but usually he just returned my "good morning" and kept reading his Bible.

Carl was buried today. In my mind's eye he is still sitting in his pew, but he won't be there next Sunday. Nor the Sunday after that.

"Good morning, Carl!" I'll say that to him again one of these days.

Zoomer Roberts
24 Feb. 2014