Joan Butler: They’re all gone now, I got around, & On Vera Street in Ventura

I’d love to put my arms around my mother,
my father, my aunts and uncles,
my grandparents—they’re all gone now
I have a baby sister I’d love to see
Her name was Claire—they’re all gone
I’d love to put my arms around them
You’d better believe it. I would. All gone.

—Joan Butler



I would like to move back to Ventura
if only for one reason
I had a car there, I got around
I’ve nothing against this place.
It’s clean & nice, people are friendly.
But I cant’ get out much, only busses.
If I had a car, I could get around
I once had a car, I knew how to get around.
I’d just like to get out and take a ride
Happiness was going around in my car.
I had a Ford, a ‘54 green Maverick
It was as green as the grass
In it I could out and go bowling
I could go down to the beach
I don’t even like the beach
but I have 2 daughters who loved the beach.
I could work, I’d mow the lawn—
nobody else would do it.
Always had trouble getting the mower started
I’d pull the string and push it around
I’d mow, mow, mow, just pushing it around
That’s the way it was—going to get mowed down.

—Joan Butler



I can remember my home
on Vera Street in Ventura
The front yard, I had a green Ford Fairlane,
the back yard had a peach tree
and an avocado tree too
I remember eating them in green salads
I had a lemon tree too. We made lemonade
And if anyone wanted lemons off that tree
I always let them have them.
The back yard was big, bigger than the front yard
I didn’t mind mowing the lawns—
I mowed the lawns. I mowed them all
I didn’t mind it all. It had to be done.
I had a bird, a green parakeet
And a plain old brown dog named Chiquito
And if anybody came knocking on the door
He’d bark and bark and bark, the way dogs do.
I know I buried him in a shoe box in the back yard
I buried him up close to the house
I buried him right outside the bedroom window.
He was a very good watchdog.
If anyone came to the door
He did what all dogs do good
He’d guard the door,
I guess he guarded the window too.

—Joan Butler

GROUP NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION

GROUP NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION

If I could make a New Year’s resolution today
It would be not to take unscheduled naps CS
Or to lose weight—I work on it all the time here
Too much good cooking isn’t a good thing MG
I wish for the ones I love should have good health
Always through the year. That’s important FP
I’d like to go bowling once and a while
And hit them all, or at least most of the time JB
I’d like to be able to walk like I used to,
to go dancing, able to walk like I used to
I’d like to have an invention with a good income or
I’d like to win the jackpot we’ll go from there WH
I want to have more joy in one’s life, health,
and to win the lottery, hit the jackpot NON
I want someone to take me down to get the winning ticket.
I think I’d keel over if I got the winning ticket,
I’d have to wake up real fast. CS
I never make New Year’s promises
because I always break ‘em MB
I’m looking forward to a cruise with my family
go down the coast & turn left at the canal
I want to be nice to everybody around me
so they will help others, & treat me nice
and everybody will be happy this way. LK
I wish for this millennium to be less cataclysmic MH
What the world needs now is love
I would like to see more love in the world
I’d start with myself, I’d show my love for others
And maybe they’d show their love for all of us MB

Madeline Bedal, Catherine Schuler, Mary Gifford, Frances Pearlman, Joan Butler, Mabel Weinberg, Mary Wailes, Neil O’Neill, Lee Kwan & Maureen Hurley