Poetry Sunday: Lusty Month of May

Long ago, in what now seems like another lifetime, I was enthralled with the movie "Camelot." I was living in Atlanta at the time and I spent every free day that I had at the movie theater watching that movie - over and over and over again. I must have seen it at least twenty times. I had all the dialog and all the songs memorized.

One of those songs speaks of this new month, the "Lusty Month of May." In memory of my youth, misspent in too many darkened theaters, let's make the lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner (Music by Frederick Loewe) the poem of the week.

Lusty Month of May

Tra la, it's May, the lusty month of May
That lovely month when everyone goes blissfully astray
Tra la, it's here, that shocking time of year
When tons of wicked little thoughts merrily appear

It's May, it's May, that gorgeous holiday
When every maiden prays that her lad will be a cad
It's mad, it's gay, a libelous display
Those dreary vows that everyone takes, everyone breaks
Everyone makes divine mistakes, the lusty month of May

Whence this fragrance wafting through the air?
What sweet feelings does its scent transmute?
Whence this perfume floating everywhere?
Don't you know it's that dear forbidden fruit
Tra la la la la, that dear forbidden fruit, tra la la la la
Tra la la la la, tra la, tra la, tra la la la la la la la la la

It's May, the lusty month of May
That darling month when everyone throws self-control away
It's time to do a wretched thing or two
And try to make each precious day, one you'll always rue

It's May, it's May, the month of yes you may
The time for every frivolous whim, proper or im
It's wild, it's gay, a blot in every way
The birds and bees with all of their vast amorous past
Gaze at the human race aghast

Tra la, it's May, the lusty month of May
That lovely month when everyone goes blissfully astray
Tra la, it's here, that shocking time of year
When tons of wicked little thoughts merrily appear

It's May, it's May, the month of great dismay
When all the world is brimming with fun wholesome or un
It's mad, it's gay, a libelous display
Those dreary vows that everyone takes, everyone breaks
Everyone makes divine mistakes, the lusty month of May

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