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  #11  
Unread 01-25-2010, 04:04 PM
Terese Coe Terese Coe is offline
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Location: New York, NY
Posts: 7,489
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Max Goodman View Post
The diapers, wipes, and warmers are
all packed securely in the car,
with stroller, car seat, pacifier,
a hair-(spit-up-on-clothing-)dryer,
the breast pump and the nursing bra,
the burp cloths, bottles, formu-la,
the rattle, mobile, music box,
and lots of teeny, tiny socks,
shoes, shirts, pants, blankets--boyish blue--
of course, a change of onesie, too,
and hats and mittens, if there's snow.
We're ready. Where'd the baby go?


Probably too predictable and too full of Americanisms.
Maybe:


Alas, to this week's competition
I cannot contemplate submission.
I have, you see, a one-month son
(As I've been telling everyone).
It took, therefore, no time at all
For me to think about a small,
Important object I'd lament
The loss of. Should this heaven-sent
And infinitely precious prize
Be lost... The thought just horrifies.
All parents are aware my peace,
At such a loss, would fully cease.
Of this misfortune parent folk
Could never even think to joke;
The tragedy would be too dire.
(I mean, of course, his pacifier.)

Is "pacifier" what you folks call it in Britain, too?
Max, I really like your second above. I agree with your that "Where'd the baby go?" is too predictable.

I do have one suggestion for the couplet in the second: The whole thing might be stronger if you ditched the pacifier/dummy notion and went with the diaper/nappy. Must be some great rhymes for nappy! And congrats to the happy new parents!

PS. I like Bob's a lot too. And John, yours is fun but I'd like to see you write a new one! The seebakrascope isn't small enough, methinks...

Last edited by Terese Coe; 01-25-2010 at 04:10 PM.
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  #12  
Unread 01-25-2010, 05:45 PM
Martin Elster Martin Elster is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Connecticut, USA
Posts: 7,563
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An Important Object

Chasing squirrels yesterday afternoon
***I lost sight of my human.
***And then some big baboon
threw me in a van and we were zoomin’

towards another part of town. He halt-
***ed, hauled me out, and dragged
***me toward a cage. Whose fault
was it I ended up in here? I wagged

my tail to no avail and spent the night
***in this prison-like place.
***I understood the fright
in yelps and howls. Some of them would pace,

as if they kept a vigil, till done in.
***This morning my good master
***ushered me out. His sin?
My dog tag vanished. Ergo this disaster.

Last edited by Martin Elster; 01-26-2010 at 02:18 PM. Reason: revision
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