I recently watched a short documentary on YouTube on the late, great Canadian actor, Billy Van; he of House of Frightenstein fame. Mr. Van was recalling one day’s numerous takes on the show done in his Librarian character.
For those of you not familiar with the show, it was a B-movie monster show for Saturday mornings (circa 1971), featuring Vincent Price. Van played eight of the show’s eleven characters. The Librarian was the wispy-haired, raspy-voiced, wrinkly fossil that shuffled onto the darkened set, complete with eerie organ drones and distant howls. Once settled into his sofa chair, he proceeded to read shocking tales of horror, which were mostly popular children’s nursery rhymes that would fail to frighten anyone. ‘Twas all about the juxtaposition for a larf.
In this mini-doc, Mr. Van closes off with this wonderful poem from his own childhood, which he recites in his Librarian character:
As I awoke this morning
When all sweet things are born
A robin perched upon my sill
To signal the coming morn.The bird was fragile, young and gay
And sweetly it did sing
The thought of happiness and joy
Into my heart did bring.I smiled softly at the song
And as it paused – a lull
I gently closed the window
And crushed its fucking skull.
We miss you Billy.
I m a father of a small baby and i want give some special thing to my baby from that she can learn somethings. then i visited to your blog and i love to read your poem. at a time in mind there is a stuck and make a copy and give it to my daughter.
She is very happy.
Thanks