Shakespearean Scintigraphic Verse: SPECTiloquy

POST #4
REVIEW of POETIC PARODY 

ORIGINAL POEM:   Monologue, Act iii, Shakepeare's "Hamlet".

PUBLISHED POETRY: J Nucl Cardiol 2001; reprinted with modification, with permission of the author.

Keywords: medical, poem

SPECTiloquy

MIBI or not MIBI – that is confusion.

Whether ’tis sooner in the morn to schedule

The slice and planars of four-valenced Fosmin

Or to tape arms; or switch to sonic bubbles,

And harmonising, spin them. To back-project

No more – yet by a scan know hard events,

The infarcts and the cardiogenic shock

That FLASH may err to; ’tis prognostication

Most worthy to be JACCed. Supine? No creep?

To buy – perchance to lease. Aye, there’s the rub;

For from that Fund of Dreams, what grants may come

When we have fended off the MR coil

Might give us PET! There’s FDG

That checks viability of so long life.

For who would bear the weak and scattered rays,

The Plot-Polar’s wrong, non-prone man’s false-positive,

The shade of displaced breast, 4-hour delay,

The overcrowded office and the jerks

That patients jitt’ry neath the camera make,

When he himself might his retirement take

With a part pension? Who would BATOs flare,

To rush and sweat such a short bio-life?

But that for stress perfusion after SPECT,

The cyclotronic cash-sink from whose beam

No billables return triples the cost,

And makes us rather milk the Tech [Tc99m] we have

Than Five-Elevens that we slow nought of.

Uke-Song, Collaboration between Gordon Lightfoot and W. Shakespeare: "AS WE NUKE IT"

POST #3
Part 1: POETIC PARODY (reprinted), i.e. poetry set to music
ORIGINAL POEM:  "As We Nuke It" is a parody-poem previously published in medical journals -  Nuclear  Medicine  Communications 2002 and Photon 2004. The poem was reproduced on our sister blog (view with above link) with the author's permission.

The Shakespearean source for the parody is Jaques' Monologue, from Act iii, Shakepeare's "As You Like It", 1623.

ORIGINAL SONG: "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", 1976 by Gordon Lightfoot.

PARODY COMPOSED: Giorgio Coniglio, 2013.

AS WE NUKE IT (parody-song)

(to the tune of "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald")

I write what I can  ...... All the world is a scan and,

Its ins and outs all Nuclear’s patients.

They have planars, both statics and cine-mode flicks,

And each camera-head gets registrations.

With a digital load, tons more if we've 'tomo' ed
Using a step-and-shoot acquisition;
For Pediatrics, we've got quite a few tricks,
And the PACS list shows studies int'resting. 

For that tiny man, at first there's a milkscan —

Through the night his lungs pooling his puking:

Then, refluxing girl for her cysto, toes curled

"E. Fitzgerald" spring of 1975 

Absorbed doses quite small, 'though we're nuking.

Though full bladder's her plight, as the moon lights the night
We can measure reflux while she's peeing;
Her neighbor's orchitis, they won't pex a hot testis;
No torsion! the Uro keeps sleeping.  

Up next there's a bleeder; should he go to "theatre"? 

No scoped site by rectal or by mouth.
He's still maroon-stooling; cells label, no fooling,
Seek hot blip somewhere from antrum south. 

And then, a shunt-study —with 'tube blocked distally?',
We assume pressure's high, we've tray ready.
So when we draw back from bulged reservoir Hakim, 
And inject, we'll find his belly empty. 

The next scan does shift with dynamic-flow drift
Is the post-op kidney on the lam?
Drainage pouch on his side, we'll i.v. frusemide

A diuretic-enhanced renogram.

Good partner in stride, it drips quickly with pride,

No such luck for its mate now diverting.

Big organ's counts doubling, and that's rather troubling - 

No peaks or downturns in its curving.

The last scan's emerg-y, and aids transplant surg'ry —

No uptake cerebral means donoring,
First-pass shows no flow, uptake pattern's a go, so    

Bank organs, yank tubes, and thank certainty.

I write what I can  ...... All the world is a scan and,

Its in-s and out-s  all Nuclear’s patients.

They have planars, both statics and cine-mode flicks,

And each camera-head gets registrations.

HOTLINKS TO OTHER MEDICAL-THEMED SONG-POSTINGS

Adenoma

Avitaminoses 

As We Nuke It (see below)

Flaking Out is What They Do

Mel and His Hernia

Mergerwocky

Off-Patent Drug#19

Prostate Cancer

Reflux Romp

R-I-C-E

The Uniqueness of Nuclear

The Valgus and the Carbuncle

Under My Own Steam part#1

Under My Own Steam part#2

Where Has Neurosyphylis Gone?

...AND A FEW LIMERICK-BASED SONGS

Singable Limerick-Medley #17: Nuclear Cardiology

Singable Limerick-Medley #20: Medical Imaging

UKULELE-FRIENDLY FORMAT

(Click on any chord-chart slide to move to 'song-presentation mode'; then navigate through thumbnails at bottom of page.)

Asus4 = 2200

 I [A] write what I can  ...... All the [Em] world is a scan and,

Its [G] in-s and out-s  [D] all Nuclear’s patients. [Asus]

They have [A] planars, both  statics and [Em] cine-mode flicks,

And each [G] camera-head [D] gets regis[Asus]trations.
----
----

Revisited Poetry: Selected Haiku Verses

Original Poetry:  

G.A Hurwitz J Nucl Cardiol 2003: Reprinted with permission of the author. 

Verses relevant to Nuclear Cardiology written in classic haiku format.

SELECTED HAIKU VERSES

Such good friends we have:

Technetium-99m

And fluorine-18.

Now a blunted curve –

Toxic doxorubicin.

The sword is too sharp.

Rays spring then scatter 
Within the female breast. Man

Deflects photons too.

Our technologists, 
Long hours the manuals read,

Know what we cannot.

Mrs. Dunn’s small vein –

Injection interstitial.

The first-pass is past.

I click on “Half-Life”
And correct for decay my

Image, not my life.

No symptoms were voiced, 
Yet silent ischemia

Still howls on the scan.

Equilibrium.

Procrustean bed! Beats fit

On some better days.

Esteemed doctors, you

Over-rate dobutamine.

“Please hold the blockers”.

In sorrow I view,

With my platelets restrained, the

Scars of those whose weren’t.

New kidney hoped for.
Could we delve the soul’s resolve

Leaving arms untouched?

Re-boot the network

At your ease. Be fleet-of-foot

Should the patient crash.

Grafted allegro 
Or final ritardando?

 - Delayed thallium.

Old Nukes staff don’t fade
By apoptosis. Our pace

Is logarithmic.

Enhanced by nitrates,
What seems inevitable

Might prove livable.

Cardiology
Is by no means nuclear,

’Til you reach its Heart.

Lil: Remembrances

As most of you know, Lil is now in a day-by-day palliative situation.

Jeff is in Toronto supervising the situation, and our good caregiver friends Gillian, Marva, Marie-Jeanne and Nela are there at Baycrest to provide moment by moment comfort under the direction of Debby and the 4 North nursing staff. 

I am quite limited by being away from 'home", but could put together a few photos to help concentrate my thoughts about Mom over the many years. Perhaps some of you have some digitized photos to add to this ad hoc collection. Thanks to Barry, Sarah and Cary for a number of these!!!

Some of Lil's favorite songs (with chords for uke or guitar) are posted at the end of the photo collection. A second montage of photos and songs are found at another post here. Lil also loved songs with an international flavor, and I am collecting some of these on a post called, "International Songs: More of Lil's Selections" here.    

Lil 1951, thanks to Sarah !

1958:at G's Bar Mitzvah

With Nate and Cary 1976

70th anniversary

LIL's SELECTION of WONDERFUL SONGS

When You're Smiling


PlayingNotes:  E7b5 = 1,2,0,1;  D7+5 = 1,2,2,1;  AmM7 = 1,0,0,0

G            D7               G               D7             G               D7             G      F#7 
 I saw a blind man, he was a kind man, helping a fel-low a-long 
 Bm                   F#  Bm7                  Bm6  E7b5       D     D#dim Em7         A7   Am7    D7 
One could not see, one could not walk, but they both were humming this song 

CHORUS: 
                        G                                    GM7                E7                            Am 
When you’re smiling, when you’re smiling, the whole world smiles with you. 
                        Am  AmM7                      Am7    D7                              D7+5    G 
When you’re laughing,  when you’re laughing,  the sun comes shining through. 
                                G7                C 
But when you’re crying, you bring on the rain, 
                         A7                D7 
So stop your sighing, be happy again. 
D7+5      G                                                 E7 
Keep on smiling, ‘cause when you’re smiling 
        Am7              D7                 G       D7 
The whole world smiles with you!          (Coda-“The whole world smiles” X3)

 G               D7        G              D7      G                    D7              G    F#7 
 I used to worry, I used to hurry each time it started to rain 
Bm             F#+  Bm7                             Bm6 E7b5         D D#dim Em7       A7       Am7  D7 
Now I see light, learned wrong from right and you’ll ne - ver hear me com – plain 

CHORUS (When you’re smiling….)

Somewhere Over the Rainbow 

A        F#m    C#m               C#m6  D   Bm7 AM7  Bbdim
Somewhere over the rainbow, way up  high

D6     Dm6 AM7            F#7           Bm7         E7   AM7  E7sus

There's  a  land that I heard of, once in a lullabye.

A        F#m     C#m             C#m6   D      Bm7  AM7  Bbdim
Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue
D6   Dm6 AM7                       F#7      Bm7                 E7          AM7  E7sus

And the  dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.

          AM7                  F#m                  Bm7                          E7                      AM7     F#m Bm7 E7

Someday I'll wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
             AM7                         F#m                  G#7   

Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops,

             C#m   C#m7 C#m6 Bm7 E7+5

That 's where  you'll  find me.

A         F#m    C#m            C#m6   D    Bm7 AM7  Bbdim
Somewhere over the rainbow blue birds fly,
D6    Dm6 AM7        F#7         Bm7               E7           AM7  E7sus

Birds fly  over the rainbow, why then oh why can't I 
     A                  F#m                   Bm7                       Esus              E7    A
If happy little bluebirds fly above the rainbow, why oh why can't I?

Let's Call the Whole Thing Off

PlayingNotes:    C#m7 = 4,4,4,4;  F#7  = 1,3,4,2 or 3,2,0,4;  F#m7  = 6,6,0,0

A                    F#7            Bm7   E7                 A                             G#7  

Things have come to a pretty pass, our romance is growing flat

            A             C#7              F#7              B7                         Bm7  E7

Cause you like this and the other, while I go for this and that.

A                F#7                      Bm7      E7           A                                      B7   

Goodness knows what the end will be, oh I don't know where I'm at

       E            C#m7   F#m7     B7                 Bm7 E7                              A       A7

It's plain to see we two will never make one; something must be done.

D             F#m           Em7   A7            D           F#m              Em7   A7 

You say eether and I say eyether; you say neether and I say neyether

D            D7           G             Gm6           D                   Bm7              Em7   A7  

Eether, eyether, neether, neyether; let's call the whole thing off. 

D                  F#m       Em7         A7       D                 F#m         Em7        A7 
You like po-tato and I like po-tahto; you like to-mato and I like to-mahto,

D            D7           G             Gm6          D                   Em7    A7      D 
Potato, potahto, tomato, tomahto; let's call the whole thing off.

       Bm6 C#7                 F#m            B7           Em7        A7  

But oh!   If we call the whole thing off then we must part

      Bm6 C#7             F#m        B7              Em7           A7       A7+!
And oh! If we ever part than that would break my heart!

D             F#m             Em7   A7           D            F#m          Em7  A7 

You say laughter and I say lawfter; you say after and I say awfter

D                D7          G        Gm6      D                   Bm7              Em7   A7  

Laughter, lawfter, after, awfter; let's call the whole thing off. 

D                 F#m        Em7        A7         D              F#m               Em7       A7 
You like Havana and I like Havahna; you like bananas and I like banahnas,

     D             D7            G              Gm6          D                    Em7    A7     D 
Havana, Havahna, bananas, banahnas; let's call the whole thing off.

       Bm6 C#7                 F#m            B7           Em7        A7  

But oh!   If we call the whole thing off then we must part

      Bm6 C#7             F#m        B7              Em7           A7       A7+!
And oh! If we ever part than that would break my heart!

         D               F#m             Em7        A7          D                 F#m            Em7   

So if you like pyjamas, and I like pa-jahmas; I'll wear pajamas and give up 

     A7

pyjahmas

D           D7            G                        Gm6          D                       D6              F#7 B7  

For we know we need each other so, we better call the calling-off off. 

Em7               A7                 D      A7+  
Let's call the whole thing off !  

         D                F#m              Em7         A7          D                 F#m            Em7   

So if you go for oysters and I go for ersters; I'll order oysters and cancel  

       A7

the ersters

D           D7            G                        Gm6          D                         D6              F#7 B7  

For we know we need each other so, we better call the calling-off off. 

Em7               A7                     D      A7  D  
Let's call the whole thing off !  

Trees as per Nelson Eddy and Mario Lanza.

 C                                            Dm  

   I think that I shall never see

Fm                                    C7   C9 

  A poem  lovely as a tree.

F                         F#dim7                 C

   A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
 C7                                                         F

  Against the Earth's sweet flowing breast.

   Bm7           F       C    F     C   D7          

A tree that looks at God all day
G7                   G7s    Em  G   C

  And lifts its leafy arms to pray.

C                                                   Dm 

   A tree  that may in summer wear

Fm                                    C7 
  A nest of robins in her hair.

F                       F#dim7                 C      

  Upon whose bosom snow has lain

C7                                            F

  Who intimately lives with rain.

 Fm              C              F#dim7    G7

Poems are made by fools like me,

 Bb9            Dm7        G7         C   

   But only God can make a tree.

Route 66

Intro: D7 C9, G6, D7 

    G6            C9                    G6    G7

If you ever plan to motor west

             C9                                                         G6

Travel my way that's the highway that is best

                D7           C9                G6    G7  

Get your kicks on Route Sixty Six.

    G6                      C9             G6   G7        

It winds from Chicago to L.A.

                    C9                                         G6

More than two thousand miles all the way

                 D7         C9                 G6  D7 

Get your kicks on Route Sixty Six.

                G6!             

Now it's down from St Louie

G6!

Joplin, Missouri,

G6!                               G7

Oklahoma City looks mighty pretty.

           C9

You'll see Amarillo,

G6

Gallup New Mexico,

D7

Flagstaff, Arizona,

C9

Don't forget Winona,

G6                              D7

Kingman, Barstow, San Bernadino.

G6                     C9                         G6  G7

Well you'll get hip to this timely tip: 

                   C9                                C6

When you make that California trip.

                 D7          C9                 G6

Get your kicks on Route Sixty-Six.

                 D7          C9                 G6
Get your kicks on Route Sixty-Six.

                 D7          C9!                 G6

Get your kicks on Route Sixty-Six.

Other possibilities: The Street Where You Live (My Fair Lady), Dark Eyes, AutumnLeaves, Bei Mir Bis Du Schein, Smile (Charlie Chaplin),Amado Mio, Volare, Ain' t Misbehaving, As Time Goes By, Besame Mucho, Jamaica Farewell,  Music Goes Rounds and Round