Vice Verses: The Collected Works of Edwin Rolf

By Edwin Rolf

Vice Verses, The Collected Works of Edwin Rolf, encapsulate the authors life experiences in verse. Compiled over the past twenty years, this collection includes selections which describe his growing up in a small town in Ohio; going off to college; flying patrol planes for the Navy; the agony and ecstasy of being a Buckeye fan; living with his friends and family; recovering from alcoholism; getting older; as well as, being a student, musician, sailor, skier, artist and poet.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 16, 2000
• ISBN: 9781462831913

Edwin Rolf

Edwin Rolf, the writer, and poet of renown, emerged o’er many decades from a tiny little town ‘midst the cornfields of Ohio where he played a mean trombone in high school and in college in bands and all alone. He became a Navy pilot and flew for five whole years, then settled in a valley with siliconic seers. He’s marketed computer stuff for years that he can’t count. He’s dabbled in the arts to seek a different mount. Then several years ago, into his addled mind, the verses started flowing of every shape and kind. He scribbles them on paper in the middle of the night; then puts them on his laptop to make them come out right. So when they did accumulate in numbers quid pro tem, Xlibris ads convinced him that he should publish them!

Book preview

Copyright © 2000 by Edwin Rolf.

Library of Congress Number: 00-192206

ISBN #: Hardcover 0-7388-3488-2

Softcover 0-7388-3489-0

eBook 9781462831913

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproducedor transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic ormechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by anyinformation storage and retrieval system, withoutpermission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

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Contents

OHIO BIO

WHAT’S IN A NAME

JACK MASTER

ON GROWING UP IN SWANTON

ghosts ofCHRISTMAS past

TWIN LAKES REVERIE

DER HEIDELBERGER

FLYIN’ DAZE

CALIFORNIA

running into rolf

THE SCARLET LETTER

ACUTE BUCKEYE MELANCHOLIA

MICHIGAN BLUES

BUCKEYE 98

ROSE BOWL REPRISE

MARCH MADNESS

SONS OF THE SALOON

ONLY CHILDREN

THE FEATHER MERCHANT

MOVIN’ ON

WE THREE KLINGS

EMITA

CATS & DOGS

ACTORS

LAW & ORDERS

ARTICULATEDDIGITS

COUPLETCRAZY

DIGITAL COMPUTER

BURMA SHAVEFOR ‘AND’ FANS

FOG

DEDICATION

To Claire, Kristina, Kendra, Emma, Blitzenand

all of our fellow pilgrimswith

best wishes for fair winds and following seas

EGO PREGO

OHIO BIO

Edwin Rolf, the writerAnd poet of renownEmerged o’er many decadesFrom a tiny little town

‘Midst the cornfields of OhioWhere he played a mean tromboneIn high school and in collegeIn bands and all alone

He became a Navy pilotAnd flew for five whole yearsThen settled in a valleyWith siliconic seers

He’s marketed computer stuffFor years that he can’t count

He’s dabbled in the artsTo seek a different mount

Then several years agoInto his addled mindThe verses started flowingOf every shape and kind

He scribbles them on paperIn the middle of the nightThen puts them on his laptopTo make them come out right

So when they did accumulateIn numbers quid pro temXlibris ads convinced himThat he would publish them

WHAT’S IN A NAME

Wolf, Rolf, Ralph, Rafael,Gently down the stream,Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrilyLife is but a dream!

Ralph the father of the manRolf the poet trueRafael the artist bold and freeWolf the business ran

The years go streaming byThe spirits come and goAnd to feed the aging fellowPasta alla Rafaello

JACK MASTER

When he was just in grade schoolGetting A’s in ABCHe looked like a certain betTo get a PhD

He picked up the tromboneSoloed loud and clearHe played in many bandsBut the money wasn’t here

With athletic inclinations

He tried his hand at sport

But with balls of different size and shape

He came up a trifle short

Next there came the buzz sawOf engineering schoolThat cut the hotshot down to sizeAnd played him for a fool

So then he thought he’d fly the thingsHe had just learned to designJoined the naval air forceFor lessons oh so fine

He got pretty good at that too(Even learned to land on ships)He soared for several yearsWith nary any slips

But hours and hours of boredomWould end in terror starkHis deepest inner life forcePut an end to this sky lark

He then turned to computersTo fund his lively styleHe climbed the corporate rungsFor quite a little while

He also learned to drinkAt that he was quite goodContinued through the yearsTil he lost his livelihood

So with little left to conquerHe turned at last to artWater colors bold and freeCreated from the heart

Then it was photographyThat claimed his wandering soulAnd rolling on the groundConsumed his body whole

But then relentless museFor better or for worseShook her pretty tailNow his vice is verse

He can’t imagine what comes nextSome multi media fun?For just a jack of all tradesAnd master of none

But he’s lived a lusty lifeHad a crazy downhill runThis smiling jack of all tradesAnd master of ONE!

ON GROWING UP IN SWANTON

When I grew up in Swanton(Not too many years ago)Midst barns of red, streets of dreamsAnd corn all in a rowThe memories now come swirlingLike so and so and so

Roller skates on Chestnut StreetSoftball games on DodgeFootball on the front lawnCircus