Sorry if it's bad.
St Louis, Missouri 1927
Prohibition is in full effect.
The curtain raised to show rocky playing his violin on the bridge
Rocky said "Old Man River!
That seems far too austere a name
for something made of mirth and rage." He rapid bowing ed at it violin "O, roiling red-blood river vein. If chief among your traits is age," he plucks his violin "you're a wily, convoluted sage."
Rocky laughs and plays a note!"Is "old" the thing to call what rings
the vernal heart of wester-lore?
What brings us brassy-myth made kings." He played a triumphant stroke. "And a preponderance of bug-type things." He plays a bug-type tune he said as it echoed "To challenge titans come before!"
His violin playing continues
"O, demiurge to a try at Avalon-once-more? And what august vitality
in your wide aorta stream.
You must have had to oversee
alchemic change of timber beam
to iron, brick and engine steam!
Your umber whiskey waters lance
the prideful, sober sovereignty
of faulty-haloed temperance,
and wilt her self-sure countenance;
Yes, righteousness is vanity." He chuckled "But sport's for imps, not elderly.
So if there's a name for migrant mass
of veteran frivolity
That snakes through seas of prairie grass
and groves of summer sassafras;
a name that flows as roguishly
as wild waters, fast and free," his violin playing stops "It's your true name: Mississippi."
Ivy said "Ahem!" She said in a melodramatic way "It's abundantly clear! You forgot us down here."
Rocky asked "Encore?" He paused "Uh, no encore?"
Fanny said "Please, no. No, that's plenty."
Freckle said "It's fine. We're fine."
Fran said "That's good."
Fiona said "I think we're good."
Rocky asked "Eh, should I, eh, add a d-dance? Extra stanzas?" He asked as he had a wheezing laugh "There's more where that came from!"
Freckle said "Please don't ruin musical theater for everyone."
Fran said "Please."
Ivy said "I'm not sure lookouts are supposed to make such a ruckus anyway. Why don't you come down here and grab a shovel?"
Rocky said "Alas, Miss Pepper. I was cursed, cursed with these spaghetti arms! So, I do what I can. I provide the a-!" He fell as rolled down the hill. His hat fell onto Freckles' face.
Rocky said "I provide the ambiance." Rocky took his hat off Freckle' face "Baby-Face provides the muscle. Look at him digging his way to martyrdom, the little go-getter!" He winked
"Fanny and her girls are the backup." Fanny, Fran, fawn faith, Ferris and Fiona frowned at this "Now, how about a little rhapsody in G minor for company?"
Ivy said "Fine! If you're not going to help us work, you're going to have to double as the dirt rag." Then the shovel hits wood.
Freckle asked "Rocky?"
Rocky said "Ah!"
Freckle said "I think I fou-"
Rocky cackled.
Ivy asked "Is that it?"
Freckle bats Rocky's tail away from his face
Rocky said "Well, if it isn't, we'll have some awkward explaining to do to the family of, uh..." he began struggling to read "Herman Hapfamschfeel?"
The two grabbed the coffin as they brought it back to the car as frogs croaked and the owls hoots.
Freckle asked "What was that? Did you hear something?"
Rocky replied "It's all these unresting spirits! We're trespassin' on their turf." He said over-the-top Irish accent spooking an owl "But there's naught ye can do about it, ye feisty devils!"
Freckle sighed "I wish my mum was here."
Rocky said "What? Blasphemy! That force of nature, she'd stop us dead.
Freckle said "I know."
Rocky said "Oh, Freckle. Don't tell me you aren't having a good time showing off your shoveling skills for hotsy-totsy over here."
Ivy rolls her eyes in disgust. They heard something coming then they got scared because of a train.
Rocky laughed "Begorra! For a moment there, I thought it was your mom."
Freckle said "This is why you don't go rillin' up spirits and digging up graves and sacrilegin' and..."
Rocky said "Settle down, cousin. The spirits are all bottled up." He laughed "Hundred years past, Burke and Hare were up to much worse. And things turned out just fine for them."
