[Marion Shore]

Originally Posted by Donna English

My take on The Red Wheelbarrow

The Wheelbarrow Overturned

Dear Editor, I’m writing in the hope that you haven’t started printing up my book.
There’s been an accident. I’m such a dope, and worrywart. Please search the poems and look
for a scribbled note within the stack, for my handyman and gardener, Jose.
It wasn’t on my desk when I got back from mailing you the manuscript that day.
It regards a broken wheelbarrow I had, a note to urge Jose to fix the thing.
Imagine my embarrassment, egad, if published, all the ridicule it’d bring!

You likely saw the problem that I mention. My worry probably seems a little silly
But thanks for your indulgence and attention!
With warm regards,
yours truly,
Billy Billy

P.S. I'm in the habit of leaving notes around the house,
and I fear one more may be in the pile, this one to my spouse,
regarding some plums that she was saving for a brunch,
which I thoughtlessly wolfed down when we were out of Cap'n Crunch.
Not that you'd ever take it for a poem, LOL!
But if it should get by you, we'd be mortified as hell.
So this is just a heads up. I know the whole thing's silly.
Best regards, your absent-minded poet, Billy Billy.

[Roger Slater]

WESTERN WIND

Western wind, when wilt thou blow,
That the small rain down can rain?
Christ, that my love were far away
And I on the prowl again!

[Orwn Acra]

Originally Posted by John Whitworth

Show us your shirt, Orwn. Mondrian obviously missed his metier; he should have gone in for designing clothes. Anyway, I did say I'd have ONE painting. The rest you could do yourself.

It's not a very good picture and I don't know what I'm pointing at, but here it is. I did one based off of "Broadway Boogie Woogie" which was amazing, but I don't have a picture of it.

[Jerome Betts]

Roger, your twist on 'Western Wind' reminded me that Paul Dehn had an ominous version of this at the height of nuclear anxieties in the Cold War.

From memory, his last two lines went:

Christ, that my love were in my arms
And I had my arms again!

[Gail White]

People, these are all brilliant, but I think some of them are parodies rather than palinodes -- reversing a previous thought, but not retracting it.

If I can think of something good, I'll add it to the mix.

[John Whitworth]

Orwn, One of my daughter's good friends used to do a gesture just like yours. It was accompanied by the strange exclamation, 'Swivel on that!' I can't think what she meant. Nice shirt though!

[Julie Steiner]

Tyger Tyger, bright with flame:
Sorry I misspelt thy name!
Please forgive my other bungles:
Saying “forests”, meaning “jungles”;

Deeming light reflected from
Thine eyes' tapetum lucidum
Actual combustion; and
Flubbing, through too-slight command

Of cardiology, the part
About "the sinews of thy heart".
Talk of chains and anvil-bangers
Must have made me drop some clangers.

How my cheeks are burning bright!
Dare I hope I've set things right
By means of this regretful ditty,
Tiger Tiger? Kitty Kitty?

[Roger Slater]

Julie, it that doesn't finish in the money it will serve a constant consolation to me when my own poems don't make it.

[Donna English]

I agree, good one, Julie! That's a palinode.

Hey, Martin and Marion, glad you got a giggle from the letter. Marion I got a giggle from your PS.!

Thanks, John this has really been a fun one!

Donna

[Roger Slater]

ON SECOND THOUGHT, LITTLE STAR

Twinkle, twinkle, little star!
Or don't. I'm not the boss. You are.
Way above the world so high,
you decide. It's not my sky.

I've no right to make you shine.
The choice is yours. It isn't mine.
Do what you think's right for you.
I can't tell you what to do.

Twinkle, twinkle, or choose not to,
Who am I to say you've got to?
You do your thing, I'll do mine.
If you want to shine, then shine.

But if you'd rather just stay dark,
sport no bright or tiny spark,
no one will know where you are
unless you twinkle, little star.