John “Gibberish” Lennon (IV)

Is John Lennon a great poet and writer? Absolutely. Is he a genius? Why even ask. And that title is my compliment for those. I bet you who have read his book, In His Own Write, could understand  that  (or maybe disagree with that). And for you who haven’t, well, you’ll have your opinion after you read what I’m gonna show you.

In His Own Write was published back in 1964. It contains short stories, poems, and drawings by John Lennon, and the keywords for the book is nonsensical, or even idiotic, or my favorite, gibbering. Even at the back of the title page in the book is written “Nonsense literature, English.”

Reading through the readers’ reviews in godreads.com for this book, I found there’s one interesting. He said that this book is like The Emperor’s New Clothes. I guess what the reviewer tried to say is admiring the book means admitting to see the beauty of the clothes, which is nonexistent. Probably he’s right. But heck, I don’t need to see if there are clothes or not. That’s not the point. It is the wittiness maker and his twisty spin to convey that there really are clothes.

Here I pick one of the short stories from that book. (The drawing is also by John.) Enjoy!

SAD MICHAEL

(Written by John Lennon)

There was no reason for Michael to be sad that morning, (the little wretch); everyone liked him, (the scab). He’d had a hard days night that day, for Michael was a Cocky Watchtower. His wife Bernie, who was well controlled, had wrabbed his norman lunch but he was still sad. It was strange for a man whom have everything and a wife to boot. At 4 o’clock when his fire was burking bridely a Poleaseman had clubbed in to parse the time around. ‘Goodeven Michael,’ the Poleaseman speeg, but Michael was not answer for he was debb and duff and could not speeg.

‘How’s the wive, Michael’ spoge the Poleaseman

‘Shuttup about that!’

‘I thought you were debb and duff and could not speeg,’ said the Poleaseman.

‘Now what am I going to do with all my debb and duff books?’ said Michael, realising straight away that here was a problem to be reckoned with.

(Copied from John Lennon in His Own Write.
Published by Simon & Schuster, Inc., 2000)

P.S.: And if you can stand the “gibberishness”, you might want to read the others that I posted under In His Own Write.
P.P.S.: All misspellings are by John. I copied them as they are.

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