Saturday, July 16, 2011

By Any Other Name!


POETRY TOW TRUCK
http://djvorreyer.wordpress.com/
asks us to work with an ugly word

BY ANY OTHER NAME!

Oh blog! Thou hast an ugly name,
For which I know thou art not to blame.
I know thou art Web Log in disguise,
But thy creators were unwise
To saddle thee with such a title
When attractive names are vital.
As a swear-word it's quite O.K.....
'Blog it!' is quite good to say.
But as a word to describe  delight,
It really, truly, isn't right!
*
Can'st thou see that charming wench,
Not sitting at a desk or bench,
But on the beach, beside the sea,
Blogging with intensity?
I, too, have that charm and grace
When I'm transported to cyberspace!
I, too, have seas of aquamarine
Adding beauty to the scene.
I tap thy keys with fairy fingers
And not a trace of reality lingers.
Whereas I think of a muddy bog
When I hear that harsh word 'blog'!
Thy namer should deserve a flogging
For calling such transportation 'blogging'!
*

-----------------------------------------------------------


COPING!

Does a little bird know when it's lost a leg?
Could it be that it's unaware?
After all, it's as 'birdie' as birds can be
When it's flying along in the air.
Does it remember the awful day
When the thin little leg went 'Snap!'?
Does it have nightmares about the time
It endured such a dire mishap?
Do other birds look at the leg and wince,
And do they feel sympathy?
Do they take extra care as they hop about
Thnking 'That might happen to me!'
'Bird Brain' we say as we mock their minds,
But I think little birds are smart.
Could you remember last summer's nest
As a memory deep in your heart?
Could you fly many miles over hill and sea,
Could you battle through torrents of rain?
Could you fly on and on to the chosen spot
And find it again and again?
No, birds are clever. That's why I ask
Is this little creature aware?
Does he even think, when he's feeling tired ,
'Life isn't very fair.'
And is he courageous, hopping about,
And singing a Springtime song,
When he's coping with disability
And it's hard to get along?
Or does he take it all in his stride
(A one-legged 'stride', I know),
And accept the deal that he's been dealt
Not just as a bitter blow,
But as something that's over and done with,
And find himself a wife,
And raise his little fledglings
And just get on with life?

*

4 comments:

Aeria said...

Oh, I love these- so wonderful! I've always thought "blog" to be ugly too but you have described it so beautifully.
I absolutely love the poem about the little plucky bird!
Quite enjoyable!!

Aeria

vivinfrance said...

Lovely take on the sonnet prompt: with your wordskills, how about you re-christen the activity? As for the bird poem - that's sensational.

barbara said...

One of my ugly words, too. Enjoyed your treatment of it much more than my own prose-y version.

Mike Patrick said...

I never thought about it before, but blog is an ugly word: well chosen and well described.

The sparrow poem is simply lovely.