[John Whitworth]

Jim, I ought to have said that I love your poem. Would it be rude to suggest that the antepenultimate line has one more syllable than it can comfortably manage with?

Gregory, I love 'the cesspit' and shall endeavour to introduce it among my acquaintance. I hope you know the Scottish 'kludgie' which is pleasantly onomatop... oh how te hell do you spell it?

Ann, you speak, as ever, in divine poesie.

[Gail White]

POETS GO POTTY

My own contribution to the new genre of "poems by talking bathroom
appliances":

As once to kings their jesters were
allowed to speak the truth and live,
a humble piece of furniture
like me has also truth to give.
When you're in costume for the street,
your mirror may approve the view,
but recollect the toilet seat:
I see the underside of you.

The dishes only know your hands,
the television serves your eye,
but I'm the one who understands
that fundamental things apply.
Your friends who only see your face
believe that what it says is true.
I've knowledge of a deeper place:
I see the underside of you.

[wendy v]

The Pen Speaks to the Poet

Lonely soul, where would you be
Without the humble likes of me --

No hopes of immortality,
No record of your gallantry,

No proof that you’ve crawled from the sea
And suffered so theatrically --

At my expense you guarantee
No thing but your own vanity –

Resist ! Desist ! Can you not see
Your vice will mean the end of me.





--
The Elemental Squid
http://nutshell-wendy.blogspot.com/

[Cally Conan-Davies]

It's called the 'dunny' down here Down Under.

Wendy - that is superb!

[John Whitworth]

Gail, I love it. It's better than mine.

[Martin Elster]

FACE THE MUSIC

You face the music, see the pitches
and rhythms freckling my face,
then make some thunder with your bass,
the resonance of which bewitches

your listeners, all in a trance
as if you were some great magician.
Yet no one has the least suspicion
you never memorize the dance

of notes. So, were you to mislay
your priceless music score — yes, me! —
since your deficient memory
would not recall what you must play,

in shame you’d leave the stage, my friend.
Face the music, pal, you need
this paper with those signs you read.
Without me, your career would end!

[Roger Slater]

PDA

If I'm the one who knows it all,
.. then why are you in charge?
Might it be because I'm small
.... and you are large?

If justice only had its day,
.. the smarter one would rule.
Too bad it works the other way:
.... you are a fool

and yet it's you, not I, in charge.
.. The smarter one's in thrall.
Why? I guess because you're large
.... and I am small.

[Jim Hayes]

Thank you John, much appreciated, good ones Wendy & Gail.

[Marion Shore]

Gail,
Yours is a royal flush!

[Marion Shore]

Rime of the Ancient Davenport

You say I'm saggy, ugly, dumpy,
and squashy as an old tomato,
Well look whose talking, Mr. Lumpy--
you've turned into a couch potato!

So heed my words, you lazy loafer:
Get up, lace on those hiking boots,
or take it from your poor old sofa,
any day you'll put down roots!

And what about those kids, who leap
and bounce around like acrobats?
No wonder I'm a sorry heap--
Ah jeez--here come those goddamn cats!