I’m black as midnight and I’m cravin’ milk
I prance like a royal — regal and lean
I prowl like a panther — deadly and mean
I’m lush and lazy and I’m no ones fool
got a bad-ass human and we’re both cool
we take no lip from no-bo-dy-no-way
get on our radar and you better pray
we’re tough as leather and we got no fear
and I got somethin’ I wancha’ t’hear
so sit back and shut up and don’t be rude
I’m gonna tell you ‘bout my bad-ass dude
he rolls with a finger-snap jazz-jive strut
don’t mess with him ’cause you might get cut
he wears silken, french-cuffed, ivory shirts
they are soft as butter-sweet cream desserts
got diamond cufflinks of pure white gold
he’s high fashion treasure – precious and bold
pearl stick-pinned, satin tie — it’s knotted tight
lookin’ like Paris on Saturday night
desert-tan gabardine three-pleated slacks
euro-cuffed, steam creased — they are sharp as tacks
soft snakeskin braces buttoned sterling bright
hip — and killer as a rattlesnake’s bite
black-patton striders with real ‘gator spats
we step out classy as the coolest cats
red pinstriped linen coat double-breasted
pure uptown savvy — teal velvet vested
sportin’ a full-blocked, rolled-brim, felt chapeau
in the deepest red of a fine bordeaux
we’re crisp and smooth as a dry martini
he calls me Lil’Queen — his name is Ziggy
rob kistner © 2019
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rq7fuCRJULk
Zoot Suit Riot – Cherry Poppin’ Daddies
Digga Digga Doo – Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Hi! I’m Edgrrr, rob’s shih tzu.
I love this Rob!!!!! Playful and it has a beat that makes you want to chant the words with Lil’ Queen!
Thank you Carrie! I started writing in Lil’Queen’s sassy voice, and I couldn’t stop. It was great fun! 🙂 I prefer writing free verse. However, if I am going to write rhyme, it’s gonna have rhythm. I spent years writing lyrics for my R&B and rock bands, so musicality is imbedded in my soul.
That is so cool Rob! I am always fascinated by music writers! It is a hard craft that takes great talent!
I loved to write lyrics back when Carrie! Started writing for my little band I had in junior high. I used to think about rhyme in the song format of verses, chorus, bridge, and refrain. I wrote lyrics before I ever wrote poetry, although lyrics are poetic. Started writing free verse poetry in high school, in addition to lyrics. The free verse allowed me to express myself in a more open, unrestricted way. Kep my mind fresh.
BTW Carrie, I would love to leave a comment on your blog to tell you I really like your response to this prompt — but as with most Blogger sites, it just disappears my comments. The frustration continues. 🙁
A fun song although, I can’t quite see a cat doing this, unless it was high. You know? Very fun.
Had a black cat named Taja, and this was precisely her attitude Toni. Held Taja in mind through the entire writing of this piece… 🙂
Oh, I love the rhythm in this. I went back after first read and read it out loud!
I envisioned it as spoken word Susie, once I got into the rhythm of the writing.
Hey friend! Sorry to be so late in coming by, but a storm knocked out my power for two days plus. Anyway, I love your swingin’ bad grrl kitty! Fashion NOT optional!
Love the music, too. I am a HUGE fan of modern swing! I’ve got a pretty good collection.
Welcome back to civilization Shay. Yes, Lil’Queen is one bad bodacious bitch — in the best of ways!
Love modern swing! These are some I am aware of, many I have listened to. I especially like Postmodern Jukebox. Thn there are The Boilermaker Jazz Band, Squirrel Nut Zipper, The Puppini Sisters, Beantown Swing Orchestra, Royal Crown Revue, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, The Atomic Fireballs G-Swing, The Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra, Big Rude Jake, Imperial Swing Orchestra, Indigo Swing, Bellevue Cadillac.
Could hear this in a prancing, AristoCats voice & it made me smile.
I am glad for the smile Chrissa… 🙂
I love the rhythm here,swaying to the music. The verses are lush and so descriptive – sounds like a fantastic night!
Glad you dug this Grace! 🙂
This is absolutely amazing! 🙂 I thoroughly enjoyed this one!
Thanks Sanaa! 🙂
It does rap!
With a hep-cat hard swing! Thank you Jane… 🙂
I love the poem/song and the Digga Digga Do video and song. Hep. Real Hep! You and she make a Great Duo.
Thank you Lisa! One of my bands back in the day (Ziggy Roberts & the Jive Gents w/the Swing Sista’s) performed hip hard swing. It was a total blast!
Cat Rap!
Ha-cha hi-ho Xan…! 🙂
This is such a fun poem, Rob, and the rhythm and rhyme give it that rollin’ juke-jive feel. I couldn’t help imagining my two cats, Luna and Mojo, performing it – if they would just stop being so shy!
Thanks Kim! Gotta get Luna & Mojo hip to java. That’ll loose their jive!
This is so hip it makes me smile until it hurts. Either you are a fashion expert, or you did your research on the duds; never seen such specificity about zoot suits; loved it. Puts me in mind of the Zoot Suit riots in LA in the late 40’s.
Glad you like it Glenn. It was great fun to write. One of the incarnations of my many bands in the 60’s/70’s80’s was on from the mid 70’s called “Ziggy Roberts & The Jive Gents w/ The Swing Sista’s”. We were a 9-piece group (guitar, keyboards, bass, drums, sax, me as lead singer, 2 female vocalists) and we did all Deco period jive-swing tunes, kickin’ hard with the back beat. We really cooked in a harder Manhattan Transfer style. I designed all the costumes, the guys in zoot suit gangster attire, and my two female singers looking like deco goddesses seen on Chryselephantine Deco Sculptures. We were hot. I got to know that period of fashion quite well.
Loads of fun, snappy, and marvelously descriptive. Killer diller!
Thanks-a-bunch Anna…! 😉
This is delightful Rob. Snappy and lilting!
Thank you very much Linda! 🙂
This is such fun Rob and I love the jazzy rhythms. We adopted a former London street cat many years ago, he would have loved strutting his stuff to this tune!
Thank you Xenia… let’s raise a milk to your old street cat! 😉
What a fun poem to read. Well done.
Thank you Arcadia!
Love your cool cat and Ziggy! Such a great imagination you have!
Thank you Deight! 🙂
All cats are Royalty!
Yes Kerfe…and they march only to their own drum!
this is a lot of fun, Rob, a sartorial delight
Pleased you enjoyed it James… 🙂
Well, rock me in rap and roll me in jazz. I can hear this in my head. Fabulous,Rob!
So glad this resonated for you Sara… 😉
Love the story of a mob man told from his pet’s perspective.
Who would know him better Bryan? 🙂
Oh I was rapping to this! So much fun Rob! They are both cool cats ????
Yes they are Christine! 🙂 I am glad you enjoyed this…
This is a fun poem with great rhythm!
Thanks RW. 🙂
Rob, this is just brilliant–a picture painted in rhythm and delightful detail. Bravo!Loved it.
Thank you Victoria, you are most kind!
LOVED the era of the zoot suit and swingin’ jive.
THIS line “he rolls with a finger-snap jazz-jive strut” just pops!
Really glad you enjoyed this Lillian — here’s a big finger-snap for you! 🙂