A tribute to Philip Levine. For Hanque
Tenderness. It was forty-seven years ago
and Bernie Strempek and I were in this bar
in downtown Detroit watching this
beautiful second-rate jazz singer
and Bernie started to talk
about tenderness.
His father had abandoned this family of four
and so his mother worked nights
at Ford Rouge and she knew
Bernie wanted to become a poet
and she totally supported that.
Bernie was a guy of amazing smarts
who seemed almost too gentle
and delicate for this world
in which he did not long remain.
I didn’t know the word tenderness
but when Bernie talked of it
I thought wow, I could use some of that.
*
[From his conversations]
poem by Michael Shepherd
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Related quotes
1985 Food Medley - 02 - Doctor
[parody of doctor! doctor! by the thompson twins]
Woah, cause hes my doctor, doctor,
And his name is bernie, bernie.
Oh, doctor, doctor,
Im feelin pretty dismal.
Doctor, doctor,
And his name is bernie, bernie.
Oh, doctor, doctor,
Wheres my pepto bismol?
song performed by by Weird Al Yankovic
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Pretty Fly For A Rabbi
Veren zol fun dir a blintsa
(how ya doin bernie? ) oy vey, oy vey
(how ya doin bernie? ) oy vey, oy vey
(how ya doin bernie? ) oy vey, oy vey
And all the goyim say Im pretty fly for a rabbi
Meccha leccha hi, meccha hiney hiney ho
Our temples had a fair share of rabbis in the past
But most of em were nudniks and none of em would last
But our new guys real kosher, I tyhink hell do the trick
I tell ya, hes to dies for - he really knows his shtick
So hows by you? have you seen this jew?
Reads the torah, does his own accounting too
Workin like a dog at the synagogue
Hes there all day, hes there all day
Just say vay iz mir! and hell kick into gear
Hell bring you lots of cheer and maybe bagels with some shmeer
Just grab your yarmulka and
Hey! hey! do that hebrew thing!
(how ya doin bernie? ) oy vey, oy vey
(how ya doin bernie? ) oy vey, oy vey
(how ya doin bernie? ) oy vey, oy vey
And all the goyim say Im pretty fly (for a rabbi)
He shops at discount stores, not just any will sufice
He has to find a bargain cause he wont pay retail price
He never acts meshugga and hes hardly a schlemiel
But if you wanna haggle, oy, hell make you such a deal!
People used to scoff, now they say mazel tov!
Hes such a macher cause he worked his tuchis off
Yeah, he keeps his cool and teaches shul
Whats not to like? whats not to like?
On high holy days, you know he prays and prays
And he never eats pastrami on white breath with mayonnaise
Put on your yarmulka and
Hey! hey! do that hebrew thing!
When hes doing a bar mitzvah, now that you shouldnt miss
Hell always shlep on down for a wedding or a briss
They say hes got a lot of chutzpah, hes really quitehhhhhip
The parents pay the moyl and he gets to keep the tip
(how ya doin bernie? ) oy vey, oy vey
(how ya doin bernie? ) oy vey, oy vey
(how ya doin bernie? ) oy vey, oy vey
Meccha leccha hi, meccha meccha cholly ho
Hes doin well, I gotta kvell
The yentas love him, even shicksas think hes swell
Show up at his home, he says shalom
And have some cake - you want some cake?
Yah, he calls the shots, we really love him lots
Oy gevalt, Im so ferklempt that I could plotz
So grab your yarmulka
The one you got for chanukah
Lets put on our yarmulkas and
Hey! hey! do that hebrew thing!
song performed by by Weird Al Yankovic
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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My mother wanted me to be a concert pianist.
quote by Bernie Worrell
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Bernie Mac
(DEDICATED TO BERNIE MAC WHO DIED AUGUST 9,2008.)
He was a credit to people who are black.
The person who I'm speaking of was Bernie Mac.
He gave a great performance in Bad Santa and in his own show.
People were devastated when he died several weeks ago.
He was a man who loved to entertain.
When he died, his fans truly experienced pain.
August 9,2008 was a day that many people regret.
He may be dead but he's a man who nobody will forget.
His final performance was in Soul men.
It's sad that he'll never star in anything again.
This talented man had too many qualities for me to list.
He was very special and he will be sorely missed.
poem by Randy Johnson
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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I didn't have anything to apologize for.
quote by Bernie Ebbers
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I never thought anything like that would have gone on.
quote by Bernie Ebbers
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I talk by playing, not by words.
quote by Bernie Worrell
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Insanity runs
In the Duckworth family
Bernie cooked his cat
quote by by Sandra Martyres
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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I was born with a natural gift. My mother recognized the talent.
quote by Bernie Worrell
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Whatever success I've had, I always like to top it.
quote by Bernie Mac
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Usually, I just do what I want, because I got it that way.
quote by Bernie Worrell
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I'm an ordinary guy with an extraordinary job.
quote by Bernie Mac
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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People want to build new circuits around the world and they say: 'We'll come to Silverstone and have a look how it's done', and I tell them to stay away.
quote by Bernie Ecclestone
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I expected results.
quote by Bernie Ebbers
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I used practically all the money I had available.
quote by Bernie Ebbers
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, and no one had ever taught anybody that young, back in those days.
quote by Bernie Worrell
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The coach's job is to get the best players and get them to play together.
quote by Bernie Ebbers
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I was known around the college for jamming in the lounge.
quote by Bernie Worrell
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I know what I don't know. To this day, I don't know technology, and I don't know finance or accounting.
quote by Bernie Ebbers
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I don't know technology and engineering. I don't know accounting.
quote by Bernie Ebbers
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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