breakiez.
I've been writing a lot this week. I worked on a story about the history of UCI's mascot and did some thumbing through the very first issues of the school's newspaper, then called Spectrum. Apparently, in 1967, there was a controversy over the presentation of Oedipus and a writer for the Anthill - as the school newspaper changed through several names within its first few years of existence - rewrote the story of Oedipus. I thought his poetry was so brilliant and pretty entertaining, I photocopied the page and I'm reposting it here.
Once upon a time this cat
by the name of Laius read
in the Delphian Bulletin
that his son would do him in
and would marry with the queen.
Laius, who was really mean,
ordered that the kid be squelched.
But someone or other welched.
Anyway, the kid survived,
and one fine day he arrived
at the crossroads in the hills.
There's a rumble, and he kills
some old codger with a blow
(served him right that so-and-so!).
Oedipus (that was his name)
hobbled on, and soon he came
to a place called Thebes. The queen
of this place is really keen
on our fellow (she's a skirt,
face it!), and she starts to flirt;
one thing to another lead:
Oedipus ends up in bed
with Jocasta. All seems right
'til one fine September night
when this troublemaking priest
starts to bug our man. At least
so he tries. But Oedipus
who is quite a bit obtuse
throws the guy out on his ear.
Queen Jocasta, who is near,
tells her story, 'cause of which
hitch develops after hitch,
and the whole thing gets confused.
Anyway, the priest produced
proof that Oedipus had drilled
his old man, as it was willed,
and had (after killing Pa)
fornicated with his Ma.
What a mess! The story ends
with the Queen dead by her hands.
Our hero blows his cool,
pokes his eyes out (what a fool!),
everybody wails and shrieks -
what a story from the Greeks!
By: Theodore Brunner
Once upon a time this cat
by the name of Laius read
in the Delphian Bulletin
that his son would do him in
and would marry with the queen.
Laius, who was really mean,
ordered that the kid be squelched.
But someone or other welched.
Anyway, the kid survived,
and one fine day he arrived
at the crossroads in the hills.
There's a rumble, and he kills
some old codger with a blow
(served him right that so-and-so!).
Oedipus (that was his name)
hobbled on, and soon he came
to a place called Thebes. The queen
of this place is really keen
on our fellow (she's a skirt,
face it!), and she starts to flirt;
one thing to another lead:
Oedipus ends up in bed
with Jocasta. All seems right
'til one fine September night
when this troublemaking priest
starts to bug our man. At least
so he tries. But Oedipus
who is quite a bit obtuse
throws the guy out on his ear.
Queen Jocasta, who is near,
tells her story, 'cause of which
hitch develops after hitch,
and the whole thing gets confused.
Anyway, the priest produced
proof that Oedipus had drilled
his old man, as it was willed,
and had (after killing Pa)
fornicated with his Ma.
What a mess! The story ends
with the Queen dead by her hands.
Our hero blows his cool,
pokes his eyes out (what a fool!),
everybody wails and shrieks -
what a story from the Greeks!
By: Theodore Brunner