Avalanche reading ‘All these Old Jokes’

They just go on telling all these old jokes,
like the one about the one that got away –
a tak si tůtni a hvízdni a jedem dál,

slippery sax giggling clarinet
old faithful bass and dancing banjo –
to jsou jen pořád ty starý dobrý vtipy,

sixteen bars later, they switch parts,
laugh and eyeball the crowd, swing round and
si tůtni a hvízdni a jedem dál.

Their wrinkled hands and puckered lips
go well with flashing eyes that are still so young –
to jsou jen pořád ty starý dobrý vtipy,

all because the sun still shines,
like it always did like it always will –
a tak si tůtni a hvízdni a jedem dál,

there’s always a party someplace nearby,
so let’s us all spin and cheer along –
to jsou jen pořád ty starý dobrý vtipy,
a tak si tůtni a hvízdni a jedem dál! 

Transliteration and translation

a tak si tůtni a hvízdni a jedem dál, –  

ah tak sih tootnih ah hweezdnjih ahyededmh dhal –
with a hoot and a whistle, let’s carry on

to jsou jen pořád ty starý dobrý vtipy, –  

toh sow yenh porzhaad tyh stareehdobreeh ftipih –
these are just all these same old jokes

I was born on an island in the middle of a river, in the middle of a city in the middle of Europe. The city is called Praha, and it means Doorstep.

My family were and still are variously employed as artists and scientists and disturbers of the peace in general – it was my mother who taught me to write, and far more importantly, to read.

At one stage, it got so there were a lot of shouting soldiers and tanks and such in the place we lived, and it was decided we needed to get away, as far as possible. To the other side of the planet, if you please.

So here I am, and hope you like my stories and poems.