People Love Musicians Poem by Peter Elliott

The Big Issue is turning out interesting these days.
Take the 'Elvis Lives' issue
Featuring a look at how pop stars live on
After dying.
The start to this article, while fairly preictable,
Soon took a twist
That made me laugh out loud
Although I'm still not sure
What I was laughing at.

We laugh at someone Having a fall
A footballer Mis-kicking a ball

Michael Jackson's death was mentioned,
John Lennon's,
Elvis himself.

This had been preceeded by a description of mass mourning
In the streets
A casket covered in flowers
The crowd singing one of their favourite songs
Made famous by the musician.

Singing, singing Singing a song
How long will That song live on?

Then the writer jolts me
With the date - 1901 -
The place - Milan -
And the musician - Guiseppe Verdi -
And I laugh and giggle
Laugh and giggle.

Why the giggling?

Is it that opera is so ponpous
So contrived
That to hear of spontaneous outbursts of emotion
In this connection
Is weird?

Another idea:
Could I possibly think
That in 1901 Victorian times
Everyone was so stiff upper lip
Emotion was frowned on
And wouldn't have thus spread to the streets?

Stereotypes, stereotypes.

But still the laughing.

Or is it memories of my parents
Coming out with
'Don't cry! ', 'Don't shout', 'Don't tap that foot'.
Not to mention teachers.

We have to keep these kids Under control
If we don't Heads will roll

As Frank Zappa put it
'Ever take a minute just to show a real emotion
In between the moisture creme and velvet facial lotion'

I'm still none the wiser
As to why all the giggling.
Perhaps I'm uptight
About dying.