The Magic Hidden in Nine Innings

I entered this poem in The Beauty of Baseball Poetry Soup contest.

No Autographs During Game

Title Image to Senior Capstone Design Project - Spring 2014

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The Magic Hidden in Nine Innings

This gentleman's sport,

Brings up my youth,

To stadium transport,

Fans and emulators of Babe Ruth.

When I was young,

We sat in the cheap seats.

Big family among.

On metal bleachers, a butt heats.

At our feet,

Peanut shells in piles,

So many we eat,

While the game beguiles.

I watch the balls fly,

Trajectories rather vast,

Oh, look! How High!

While the baserunners move fast.

Dad would talk at games,

Which we did not witness a lot.

He knows the player's names?!

His vocabulary is more than I ever thought.

Injuries occur,

But tis not a bloodsport,

Which is what we prefer,

For spectator comfort.

A moment in time,

We root for players to succeed,

Hit a homer, catch a fly, sublime,

And the other team's score impede.

Some fans want their team to win.

Others enjoy watching the game as a whole.

Whatever the reason,

This game our heart stole.

If the game is long,

Better conversations can be had,

Fans try to get along,

Or don't, and that's bad.

Japan's favorite sport,

Provides America many a powerhouse,

A valuable import,

And welcome addition to the clubhouse.

A sport that makes fans sing,

Stretch, move, and dance,

Up collective tookis bring,

All the more body condition and game experience to enhance.

Let's go to a ball game,

With fans abound,

Expletives exclaim,

Until the winning team is crowned.

On Fireworks Night,

Music and vision astound,

Phosphorus in flight,

Friends and magical experience surround.

Originally published on the Poetry Soup website on June 17, 2026.

Poet's Notes:

Welcome to the Information Booth!

Cropped Photo from Poet's Senior Design Project

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In this contest, any form of poetry was allowed. When given the option, this girl (points at self) almost always goes with Rhyme. The contest was essentially an invitation to remind the judge that baseball can still be "the beautiful game," even when someone's team is having a rough season.

Around this time in mid-June 2026, I was looking for a poetry contest to honor my dad for Father's Day. Granted, I had already honored him last year with The Tale of the Two Patricks, so perhaps I didn't need another Father's Day tribute.

Guess the Gift Shop is closed...

Behind the Scenes Photo When Baseball Game Not Happening

Photo From Poet's Senior Design Project

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Even so, we both love baseball, and we have some memories associated with going to games together.

My family often went to see our Las Vegas Triple-A minor league team play at Cashman Field. When I was younger, the team was the Las Vegas Stars. Later, the name changed to the Las Vegas 51s. Today, the Las Vegas team is the Aviators.

I have not been to an Aviators game since the name changed. One of these days, I am sure I will make it to one. For now, though, I have many nieces and nephews who play sports on the weekends, and those games are mostly free to attend and costly to miss altogether. I will probably prioritize those. LOL!

Las Vegas 51s Concession Cart

Photo From Poet's Senior Design Project

Keep in mind - we were interested in documenting cracks in the concourse concrete

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When I was studying civil engineering, Cashman Field came back into my life in a completely different way. It was my idea to do a project involving Cashman Field at the start of my senior capstone project semester. The idea of the stadium intuitively came to me out of nowhere when we were told to come up with an idea. I guess I caught a fly of sorts. 

I also still have my May 2014 Senior Capstone Design Poster.

I guess I took good care of it - I know, Super Baseball Nerd LOL

Poet Personal Photo Taken September 25, 2026

The Poster - If you want to read it LOL

An Image From A PDF Revision of the Final Poster

Senior Capstone Project - May 2014 Senior Design Competition

Our senior capstone team worked on a project involving renovation of the concrete concourse at the stadium. We also looked at the engineering economics associated with using the field for minor league soccer games during the offseason and potentially using the outfield for peewee soccer games. At the time, our minor league baseball team was the Las Vegas 51s, so I have some personal pictures from that era that I can use to illustrate this blog post.

Major League Weekend Game - Pi Day 2015

Family Group Photo at Cashman Field

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After college, I went to anime and video game conventions in the Cashman Field Convention Center when my brother volunteered to work at those events. I even paid to play in a Mario Kart 8 video game tournament because they were one gamer short of the eight players they needed to fill the bracket. At the time, I did not know how to drift, so I went in knowing I probably would not win the tourney, but it is still a funny memory for me. I competed in a Mario Kart 8 tournament once...

All Hail, King Boo!

I have learned how to drift since then... 

I Tied With My Bro's Avatar Villager on the 150cc Level Cup Circuit.

Poet Personal Photo Taken July 14, 2025

More poignantly, I went to Cashman Field to obtain my first COVID-19 vaccine. It was like visiting an old trusted friend during a very chaotic time. I got my shot on April 6, 2021, and brought a funny book with me to read: You are a Badass: How To Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living An Awesome Life by Jen Sincero. Time flew by really fast with a great book to read in a familiar, safe place.

Be a Hero! Go get that vaccine!

COVID-19 First Shot Field Kit & Sticker Prize

Thank you, Cashman Field

For Hosting People For Vaccine Treatment During A Global Pandemic

Also For Enriching The Lives of the Southern Nevada Community

Cashman Field will be demolished after The Las Vegas Lights FC play their final game on October 17, 2026. I first learned this from Google's AI Overview, which, for once, actually sent me in the right direction. I checked the Las Vegas Lights FC website and schedule to confirm it. 😂

I am going to be sad to see Cashman Field go. It meant something to me, and I know it has meant something to many other members of the Southern Nevada community as well.

Even without our loyal seasoned stadium, the magic of baseball will continue. We will still go to baseball games. We will still appreciate the ambiance only baseball games provide. 

"Up collective tookis bring"

Dry your eyes. The show must go on.

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"A sport that makes fans sing, stretch, move, and dance..."

A flash mob comes to mind.

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"I watch the balls fly, trajectories rather vast..."

Well...baseball players have to start somewhere.

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"Oh, look! How High!"

Come on! Catch it! Catch It!

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"While the baserunners move fast"

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"This gentleman's sport..."

That some women have been known to play...

"Brings up my youth"

From The Film A League of Their Own

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"To stadium transport, fans and emulators of Babe Ruth."

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"Let's go to a ball game, with fans abound, expletives exclaim, until the winning team is crowned."

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Wait...what was that...(whispered voiceover: "There's no crying in baseball...")... LOL!

Update: Cashman Field's Final Soccer Game

I went to Cashman Field's final soccer game on October 17, 2026. The match featured our local Las Vegas Lights against Lexington Sporting Club (SC), a team from Lexington, Kentucky.

Cashman Field's Last Game — Minor League Soccer

Personal photo taken October 17, 2026

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When my brother and I arrived at the stadium, it was raining. I felt the weather was fitting for such a sad occasion. Fortunately, the rain had stopped before the game started.

During the game, whenever our local team scored, colored smoke bombs were set off. The smoke was pretty to look at, and the air filled with that distinctive smell.

The Final Fireworks Show

At life's big events, we sometimes have to make a choice: watch without filming so we can be fully in the moment, or take pictures and videos to preserve the experience for posterity. I chose to watch the show and be fully present.

During the final part, I thought about snapping a picture and even held up my phone. But I didn't think I'd be fast enough, so I let the opportunity pass. 

In life, sometimes that happens.

Thank You, Cashman Field! 

You will be remembered and missed throughout Southern Nevada for years to come. You brought us minor league baseball, anime and video game conventions, a familiar place to get a vaccine, material for a senior engineering capstone project, and minor league soccer for nine seasons. 

Cashman Field's ability to adapt over the years and become whatever Las Vegas needed is something worth celebrating. 💖

Crystalline Alchemy

I entered this poem in the Waka-Sonnet Fragment Contest on the Poetry Soup website.

Cookies On Cooling Rack

Poet Baked These Cookies On November 5, 2024

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Crystalline Alchemy

Pour it slowly

Cannot cup overfill

Combination deliberate

Dissolves into the dough

Takes on new form

Originally published on the Poetry Soup website on June 13, 2026.

Poet's Notes:

The poem followed a specific structure: five lines with a 4/6/8/6/4 syllable pattern, no rhyme, and a crystalline, distilled tone. The sonnet influence appears in the volta—a subtle turn in the final line. The contest description said a Waka sonnet should be "short enough to feel like a spell," which was probably my favorite part of the instructions.

A Waka Sonnet Should Be Short Enough To Feel Like A Spell

Not Long Enough To Make A Magical Curriculum

The Wizard And His Dragon Made Of Fire

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In the contest description, the provided Waka sonnet example had a title of Kaleidoscopic Heart. Hence, I named my entry Crystalline Alchemy.

Alchemist's Desk

Pixelated Because: Who doesn't love playing a RPG?!

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The poem was deemed "not applicable." I later noticed that my title may not have followed the contest's intended naming convention, although I don't know whether that was actually the reason. I didn't catch the discrepancy until months later. LOL!

Mystery...In All Its Swampy Goodness

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This Waka sonnet was about baking and how crystalline ingredients like salt and sugars change form during the mixing process. I am talented at baking cookies, so I aimed my creativity toward that theme. However, while writing the sonnet, I realized that this crystalline alchemy could apply to breads, cake batters, and assorted other baked goods. My original mind went straight to cookies, but the idea was broader than that.

Oh, The Possibilities!

Marshmallow Man With Greater Perspective

Photo by Ian Guffogg on Unsplash

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I also thought it was amusing that the poem is about carefully handling baking ingredients, almost as if the baker were a bomb technician trying not to set off an explosion. 

...Or A Security System

There are lasers in the air vents!

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The first line also reminds me of the instructions Arnold Schwarzenegger's character gives Jamie Lee Curtis' character before her bedroom dancing scene in the cinematic treasure that is True Lies. I love that movie and I always will.

"Do it doucement, do it very slowly..."

Not just for baking...

I genuinely dropped that tape recorder in shock.

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The Waka sonnet was a new poetry form for me, and rhyme was not allowed—which is usually my wheelhouse. LOL! It was fun to write something different, and I learned that a Waka sonnet is challenging to write while still making it feel like a piece of art.

Mischievous Morsel

This poem was written for the Poetry Soup BiteSize Contest no146.

They're in cahoots, I tell you...

A party bowl really means meeting room for shenanigans...

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Mischievous Morsel

Tasty confection,

Chocolate, caramel, nuts,

Delectable reflection,

Love those tasty guts.

It must Snicker,

While my taste buds flicker.

Originally published on the Poetry Soup website on June 13, 2026.

Poet's Notes:

This poem was deemed not applicable to the contest. I submitted it near the deadline, so perhaps I was trying to slide into home base with this one. 😂 I don't know the exact reason it wasn't considered applicable, but I decided to keep the poem anyway.

The contest allowed poems up to six lines, which gave me plenty of room for a tiny candy-inspired poem.

When I saw the name of the contest, I started thinking about bite size candy bars. I was also hungry. Eating a Snickers was on my mind. So naturally, I wrote where the muse led me.

"Love those tasty guts..."

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This poem is my playful ode to Snickers. I had fun writing it. I believe it is a charming composition, but perhaps not as charming as the candy itself. That mischievous snack!

I think I'm hungry again...

They got me again, mischievous little morsels...

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And you're welcome, Snickers, for my blog advertising.

Feel free to send me coupons...LOL!

Statue of Sadness On A Foundation of Shame

I wrote this poem for a Faced With Monsters poetry contest on the Poetry Soup website. The title was intentionally written to sound dark and match the contest theme, while also reflecting the poem's content.

Is She A Monster? Decades of Wisdom In Those Eyes...

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Statue of Sadness On A Foundation of Shame

The worst monsters,
Overwhelm us and fill us with dread.

How can we even fight THIS?!

No wonder we fled...

There are times,

We can't escape.

The monster is inside us,

Hidden under our cape.

We wear a mask,

To make it through the day.

When I tell people about it,

They throw me away.

Nobody understands this,

Unless they have it, too.

This is the problem of warriors,

Heroes, and the stigma is undue.

This monster has been with me,

For decades of time.

It was born out of necessity,

Due to lost faith in fairy tales and nursery rhymes.

This monster sought wisdom,

And helped me succeed,

But a change in scenery,

Caused me to bleed.

Perfectionism is tricky.

There are good things and bad.

When your Inner Critic takes steroids,

Feedback can make you overly sad.

This sadness is made,

On a foundation of shame.

Shame I never deserved,

But it's here all the same.

My monster is heavy,

I have tried to help it lose weight,

Hard to hire a trainer,

When unhired as of late.

Sometimes afflicted ones,

Have trouble finding a new party,

Because there's something about them,

That obscures the smarty.

There might be a flag,

On their armor that is red.

They are fully able,

But the look puts them in bad stead.

No missions work out,

I end up on the ground,

Why did I have to be like this?!

To this monster, I'm always bound.

I'm overwhelmed by the situation,

Sometimes panic makes it hard to breathe,

My perfectionism is a poison,

Where's that rock to hide beneath?!

When one is truly terrified,

They freeze in utter fear.

That is where I am.

I want to disappear.

If nobody can see me,

Nobody can hurt me either.

Ha! That's a lie!

As if my monster would give me a breather...

When my mind is quiet,

The monster descends,

Like a spider finding dinner,

Persistent consumption it intends.

My monster wants to protect me,

Keep me from feeling more harm,

Reminding me of self-hatred,

To keep me ready and on alarm.

I have known it for decades.

I still know it now.

My constant companion,

Spoken while raising an eyebrow.

Facing my monster isn't past-tense,

I face it all the time.

It never leaves me alone,

Whether at my worst, or at my prime.

Leave me alone.

I want to be free.

Who am I without you?

Would I even still be me?

If I slay it,

I do not know who I am.

It has been with me so long.

Is who I am a total sham?

Not knowing ourselves,

Is a scary thing.

Will I be an empty shell?

Will I continue to sing?

Originally posted on Poetry Soup website on June 15, 2026.

Poet's Notes:

This is a very honest poem for me, so even submitting it made me feel vulnerable. However, there is also something strangely compelling about being honestly creative through writing. Sometimes the challenge of completing a project draws us in like a moth to a flame. The fire is so enticing that we can't help ourselves or look away.

"The monster is inside us, hidden under our cape."

Red Riding Hood Costumed Woman Half-Hidden Behind Tree

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Every person has their own truth. Many struggles are invisible. We sometimes muddle through our lives while hiding the parts about ourselves that hurt, confuse, or embarrass us. The "monster" in this poem represents something that has been with me for decades. It has affected how I see myself, how I respond to challenges, and how I approach the world around me.

"It was born out of necessity, due to lost faith in fairy tales and nursery rhymes."

Evil Queen Walking Through the Woods

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Perfectionism is an especially complicated part of the story. It has helped me accomplish things, but it has also made setbacks and criticism much harder to process. Sometimes the qualities that help us succeed can also become burdens when taken too far.

"This monster sought wisdom, and helped me succeed..."

Stack of Books - Each A Seed of Wisdom

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One of the reasons I wrote this poem was to explore that contradiction. My monster is not simply an enemy that I can defeat and forget. It has also protected me, motivated me, and shaped parts of who I am. That creates an uncomfortable question: If something has been part of your identity for decades, what does it mean to face it without knowing exactly who you would be without it?

"Who am I without you? Would I even still be me?"

Woman Staring Into Mirror Image of Self - Reflection Wears a Mask

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So here it is.

"Like a spider finding dinner, persistent consumption it intends."

Spider With Humanoid Face Descending From Colorful Web

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The monster is still there. The poem doesn't pretend otherwise.

"There might be a flag, on their armor that is red."

Knight with Red Cross on Front of Armor, Chainmail, and Full-Body Red Cape

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"They are fully able, but the look puts them in bad stead."

Phantom of the Opera - 60% Ink Portrait

Gives Me Picture of Dorian Gray Vibes, Too.

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But writing it gave me a way to put something difficult into words—and sometimes giving a monster a name is a way of making it a little less powerful.

"My constant companion, spoken while raising an eyebrow."

Jane Lane, Daria's Constant Companion

Screenshot From Daria Episode #113 "The Misery Chick"

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Invisible struggles can affect how people experience work, relationships, and everyday life, even when others cannot see what is happening beneath the surface. We adapt ourselves to make it through our lives. 

"We wear a mask, to make it through the day."

Brunette Woman Wearing Glasses in Tan Business Suit With Hair in Ponytail

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Being successful can reinforce the very patterns that eventually become difficult to manage. Sometimes addressing a complicated problem requires specialized help, which can also require significant time, money, and resources. That's another challenge people don't always see from the outside. 

Sometimes our own minds can feel like prisons, particularly when the patterns we've developed to protect ourselves also limit our potential.

"My monster wants to protect me, keep me from feeling more harm..."

Stay In There - It's Safer Away From People

Woman in Black Dress Sitting Inside Jail Cell

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Every stanza of this poem is true to my experience with my live-in monster. 

It placed second in the Faced With Monsters contest. I knew that if the poem placed, I would probably add it to my Poetry blog, potentially opening several cans of worms and illuminating some closets full of skeletons.

Closet Skeletons Rocking Aviators — Toasting Each Other With Respective Cans of Worms

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I'm imagining the wardrobe from Beauty and the Beast, with the moths flying out of all the drawers and cabinets as the talking wardrobe exclaims, "How embarrassing!" 😂

Will You Be Having The Curry?

This poem was entered into the King of Terrors Poetry Contest on the Poetry Soup website. Under the contest description, it simply said, "No Rules!" 

So, of course, I decided to be cheeky at the beginning of my entry.

"I'm terribly sorry, sir, but I'm afraid you're mistaken."

Screenshot From Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

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Will You Be Having The Curry?

"We've got to have rules, otherwise it's just chaos." 

— Tim Curry as Cardinal Richelieu from The Three Musketeers

As a lad of ten,

He saw his father die,

Instead of hiding in his den,

He went and stole a pie.

His real father,

Was hospital bound,

"Take care of your mother."

Was a request quite profound.

His mother was cold,

Off to boarding school he went,

Don't mistake genetics for love,

Need a soul to repent.

There is a moral,

But it is often lost,

Like a pebble in a frozen desert,

Covered in Hell's frost.

All the bodies float,

Down here below,

That is your fate.

Welcome to the show.

The Lord of Darkness,

Shadow solace embrace,

Dark of the night,

With Vecna-level makeup on my face.

Are dreams my specialty?...

It's really nightmares.

Hold tight your orphans,

With gun he scares.

I see you shiver,

With anticipation,

You know not what you've done.

Understand your situation.

Where's my chainsaw?

Where's that Meatloaf of a man?

I'll cut his skull open,

And complete my plan.

One plus one,

Plus two plus one,

Whatever the answer,

Murder will be fun.

Get a Clue!

What weapon did you bring?!

What color's your identity?

What witty remark or body will the butler fling?!

You do what you can't do in reality,

Very liberating playing foul,

Get paid to be evil,

Trade a smile for a scowl.

Maybe larger than life,

Living on the Margins of Sanity,

Polite Society be damned,

Embrace the Anarchy.

In the shadows,

Humor presides,

Being goodie two-shoes is boring,

Let the bodies collect flies.

Evil has sense,

Theatricality in droves,

Be who you are,

Throw lies and bodies in the stoves.

People expect villains,

Sans makeup to be scary,

When faces are naked,

Perceptions may vary.

Make authority absolute,

Pair it with cruelty and disregard for human life,

You don't need makeup to be scary,

If you do it right....

Clowns to the left of me,

Jokers to the right,

Being stuck in the middle,

Compels me to fight.

Gas clouds,

Noxious Muck,

Slime beneath me,

Monster will suck.

Trees, animals, the world,

What's in the air,

Hexxus destroys it.

See if society cares!

The whole world is on fire,

It's all going to shift,

The climate is expendable,

And the environment is taking a hit.

Tim Curry was A King of Terror,

He wore evil like a boss,

He kept acting in voice,

When he suffered a loss.

Reality can be more scary,

Than the fiction we watch and read,

Getting up after falling,

Is a masterful feat indeed.

Disclaimer: One of my words needed to be PG-ratified. Take a guess which one.

Poet's Notes:

This poem is essentially my attempt to answer one question:

What happens when you take Tim Curry's villains, characters, quotes, songs, interviews, and general theatricality and throw them all into one poem?

Apparently, chaos happens.

Fortunately, the contest said "No Rules!" 😂

I had to organize the chaos somehow, so here is what I was doing.

The Beginning: A Little Tim Curry History

"What an imagination. First pirates, now talking parrots, what's next - a singing, dancing mouse with his own amusement park?"

The Muppets Tribute Image to Tim Curry, An Honorary Muppet

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The opening stanza comes from lyrics sung by Tim Curry's Long John Silver character in Muppet Treasure Island in the song "Professional Pirate". The third line is my own poetic license.

The next two stanzas were inspired by a television interview Tim Curry had with the TCM guy. Some of the details in those stanzas are also my poetic interpretation of what I took from the interview.

Then comes:

There is a moral,

But it is often lost,

Like a pebble in a frozen desert,

Covered in Hell's frost.

The first two lines are inspired by a quote from Tim Curry's character Drake in The Pebble and the Penguin:

"Everything's got a moral, if only you can find it."

Drake from The Pebble and the Penguin

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The pebble is a nod to the movie itself. "Hell's frost" then gives me an excuse to transition toward Tim Curry's portrayal of the Lord of Darkness in Legend. 

And then we get to Pennywise.

Enter the Terrors

The floating-bodies stanza represents Pennywise from It. The first part is based on one of Pennywise's most recognizable lines:

"They all float down here."

Pennywise From It

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I changed the ending to "Welcome to the show" because Pennywise is a clown, and a creepy clown is essentially a performer who has ultimately decided that your terror is tonight's entertainment. (Lucky you....) Evil laughter ensues....

It also gave me an opportunity to make a cheeky invitation to the show of this poem.

Then I moved on to Tim Curry's Lord of Darkness from Legend.

The lines about shadows and the dark of night are inspired by a quote from the character:

"I am the Lord of Darkness. I require the solace of the shadows and the dark of the night."

Screenshot from Legend

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I also learned that the character required extensive makeup. I had recently watched an interview with the actor who plays Vecna in Stranger Things discussing the extensive makeup process for that character, so I decided to throw a little Vecna-level makeup into the mix.

Why not?

"A respectable member of the medical community once told me 

that money can make anyone look beautiful." — Daria Morgendorffer

Quote from MTV's Daria Episode #109 "Too Cute"

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Then comes another quote from the Sandman from Captain Planet and the Planeteers. At least, that was what I thought when I wrote the poem. 

The AI Overview I used claimed that a character that does NOT exist said the line in question in a television show that DID exist.

Well...that's helpful. 😂

Apparently, even when you're writing a poem involving the Lord of Darkness, you have to watch out for the possibility that your research assistant will send you down the wrong path. 

More chaos. That figures.

Maybe AI is the real Lord of Darkness now. 😈

Once I checked the quote against the actual Legend source, I found that it really does come from the Lord of Darkness:

"All things change, lady. The dreams of youth are the regrets of maturity. 

 Dreams are my specialty. Through dreams, I influence mankind..."

I turned that into nightmares because, well... we're writing a King of Terrors poem here.

The reference to holding tight to orphans comes from Tim Curry's Rooster Hannigan in Annie.

Horror, Rocky Horror, and Clue

The next several stanzas are where the poem really starts having fun with Tim Curry's ability to play larger-than-life characters.

"Burning bright, there's a guiding star, No matter what or who you are."

Speaking of larger-than-life characters...

Screenshot from The Rocky Horror Picture Show

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The lines about shivering with anticipation come from Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show:

"I see you shiver with anticip... ation."

Screenshot From The Rocky Horror Picture Show

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And I don't care that the image converting tools I use online make mistakes and shoes become hands where feet should be... "Embrace the Anarchy." 😜😈

"Hot patootie, Bless my soul, Really love that rock and roll."

Meatloaf's Eddie and Curry's Dr. Frank-N-Furter

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The chainsaw, skull, and Meatloaf references continue the Rocky Horror theme. The musician Meatloaf literally appears in the movie, so I couldn't resist turning his name into a very different sort of description.

Then I threw Clue into the poem. Did you get it...?

Image Associated With Press For A Movie

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"There's a homicidal maniac about."

Colorful Characters in Clue Film

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The math stanza is a direct reference to Wadsworth's wonderfully unnecessary mathematical correction about the number of bullets left in the revolver in the film:

"Even if I was wrong, that would be one plus one plus two plus one, not one plus two plus one plus one."

Because apparently even murder mysteries need mathematical precision and skills of elocution.

That was a mouthful, sir.

Screenshot of Elocution Coach Dr. Poole From the Film Oscar

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And naturally, if we're talking about Clue, we need weapons, colorful character identities, butlers, and bodies. 

("Shake, Rattle, and Roll" playing in the background on a record.)

Clue-related Image

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Enjoy the following gag images...

Bug Eyes & Claw Teeth

Long John Silver and Polly Lobster

Characters from Muppet Treasure Island

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Gardening Love - Robber Quartet

FernGully Image

Hexxus Robber Clone Jutsu

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There Can Only Ever Be One Disney Candlestick...

So Here's A Blowgun Instead...

Who Needs a Rope When You Can Have A Fabric Sheet...

Weird Weapons Tray

Clue-Related Image

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The Bellybutton

Can't Take This Image Seriously With Skin Showing...

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Image

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Vecna Isn't On Another Planet or In Another Dimension...

Star-Gazing Vecna on Wilderness Vacation — Vecna Selfie

Stranger Things Image

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Tim Curry on Playing Villains

The next several stanzas aren't based on one particular movie. Instead, they draw from things Tim Curry has said about acting, villains, horror, comedy, and the kinds of characters he enjoys playing.

Some of the ideas that inspired me include his comments about how liberating it is to play villains because actors can do things in fiction that people aren't allowed to do in real life--and get paid for it.

I also drew from his descriptions of being attracted to characters who are:

• larger than life,
• on the margins of sanity,
• outside polite society,
• and capable of wonderful theatricality.

That led to lines such as:

You do what you can't do in reality,

Very liberating playing foul,

Get paid to be evil,

Trade a smile for a scowl.

(I briefly considered spelling "foul" as "fowl", since Tim Curry has also played an evil bird. 🐧 ) 

And:

Maybe larger than life,

Living on the Margins of Sanity,

Polite Society be damned,

Embrace the Anarchy. 

 

"It's Showtime!"

Screenshot From Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

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I also wanted to play with the idea that evil can be entertaining. That's where the theatricality, humor, bodies, and "goodie two-shoes" lines come from. 

The line about people expecting villains to be frightening without makeup also comes from Tim Curry's comments about how people sometimes expect him to be terrifying in real life.

Apparently, a person who has played Pennywise and the Lord of Darkness is not necessarily terrifying while drinking a cup of tea.

Who knew? 😂

Oh Deer! - Whatever Shall I Do?

Image of Alastair - The Radio Demon - Drinking Tea

Character in Hazbin Hotel Series

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The line:

Be who you are,

is also a nod to Dr. Frank-N-Furter's famous:

"Don't dream it, be it."

Cardinal Richelieu

The next stanza brings us back to the character from the epigraph: Cardinal Richelieu in The Three Musketeers.

I had read a description of Tim Curry's performance as Richelieu that emphasized how frightening he could be without supernatural powers. His character's authority, cruelty, and disregard for human life were enough.

[hears the scream of a prisoner being run through] "One less mouth to feed."

Screenshot From The Three Musketeers (1993) Film

Cardinal Richelieu - Staring Off Into The Distance

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That inspired:

Make authority absolute,

Pair it with cruelty and disregard for human life,

You don't need makeup to be scary,

If you do it right....

And that idea is important because it starts moving the poem away from monsters who look terrifying and toward something more unsettling:

Sometimes reality doesn't need special effects.

From Annie to Hexxus

The next sequence begins with another Tim Curry character:

Clowns to the left of me,

Jokers to the right,

Being stuck in the middle,

Compels me to fight.

Those first three lines are a nod to Rooster Hannigan in Annie.

"Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right..."

Images from Star Wars, Annie, and One Piece (Anime)

This is a puzzle for true Tim Curry fans.

Hint: Voice Acting

Good luck... Evil laughter ensues...

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Then I take a sharp turn into FernGully: The Last Rainforest.

Vibrant Rainforest With Mysterious Plants and Creatures

Love the blue creature that doesn't really exist except in this image

FernGully Soundtrack Cover Art

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The following stanzas draw from the song "Toxic Love," performed by Tim Curry as Hexxus, along with my own observations about Hexxus sucking up pollution and becoming larger and more powerful from it.

The original lyrics include imagery involving:

"Oil and grime, poison sludge"

"Diesel clouds and noxious muck"

"Slime beneath me"

So I transformed those ideas into:

Gas clouds,

Noxious muck,

Slime beneath me,

Monster will suck.

And yes, "Monster will suck" is deliberately doing several things at once.

"Monster will suck."

Back When Hexxus Was Weak

Screenshot from FernGully: The Last Rainforest

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Hexxus literally sucks up pollution in the movie. "Monsters suck" is also a general joke about movie monsters because they are evil and bad.

It's cheeky. Hmmm... did one of those words in the stanza need to be PG-ratified for the contest? 😂

Then I brought in:

Trees, animals, the world,

What's in the air,

Hexxus destroys it.

See if society cares!

That last line is intentionally a taunt.

Speaking of taunts...

"I know something you don't know." (Spoken In Sing-Songy Voice)

Alastair Taunting Charlie in Hazbin Hotel

Screenshot From Hazbin Hotel Series - Season One

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Finally, the fictional pollution monster gives way to the real world:

The world is on fire,

It's all going to shift,

The climate is expendable,

And the environment is taking a hit.

And this is not the good type of hit that Hexxus takes in the song "Toxic Love":

"Hit me one time

Hit me twice

Oh! Ah! Oh

Well, that's rather nice." 

 

"Ahhh... delicious... a first-class smoke. Mother's milk." — Hexxus

Screenshot From Ferngully: The Last Rainforest

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This is where the poem transitions from fictional terror to real-world concerns about wildfires, pollution, climate, and the deterioration of the environment—all things this poet (points to self) actually cares about in real life, too.

Hmmm... interesting word choices here.

The Ending: The Real King of Terrors

The final two stanzas are where the poem changes direction again.

Tim Curry As The Grand Wizard

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I wanted to connect Tim Curry directly to the contest theme:

Tim Curry was A King of Terror,

But I didn't want to end the poem simply by listing all the terrifying characters he has played.

"He took it on the chin."

Message Tim Curry Wanted Others To Take Away As His Legacy

Screenshot From The Rocky Horror Picture Show

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Tim Curry has experienced significant adversity in his own life, yet he continued working and acting after suffering a major health setback.

That made me think about the difference between fictional terror and real-life adversity.

A fictional villain can be terrifying because an actor makes the character terrifying.

But reality can be much scarier because there is no script, no special effects, and no guarantee of how the story will end.

That is why I ended with:

Reality can be more scary,

Than the fiction we watch and read,

Getting up after falling,

Is a masterful feat indeed.

The last line is my way of giving Tim Curry credit not merely for being an extraordinary performer, but for continuing to create and perform in the face of adversity.

The monsters may be fictional.

Getting back up is real.

And About That Disclaimer...

As for the final disclaimer:

I'm not telling you which word needed to be PG-ratified. 😂😜

Screenshot From Saturday Night Live

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Take your guess.

Maybe it's obvious.

Maybe it isn't.

Maybe the disclaimer itself is a red herring.

As one of the poem's own lines says:

Perceptions may vary.

And as another says:

You don't need makeup to be scary,

If you do it right....

Evil laughter ensues.... 😈