I Must Protest comical poem 524 by Angela Lansbury

We've had Stop Oil

And Stop the War

I guess you've heard

It all before

Now Farmers  - should

Teachers deplore?

I wonder if

I should do more

I should explain

The simple facts

All want more pay

Service, less tax

I must protest

Not blocking roads

Not shouting, nor

Raising banners

I must protest

Not marching on

Nor screaming out

I've good manners

Ah counter. Angela Lansbury.

I must protest

Not throw hammers

I'll just correct

Others' grammars

I must protest

Life can't get worse

Drop punctua-

Tion nto verse.

I claim spell check

Should bear the bleme

Yet sometimes I

Miss spell my name

I shall not sing

Nor throw a fit

But at least, dears,

I've done my bit

I'll simply type

Out abc

Chant loud praise of

The dictionary

I can't do more

I've done my best

To help you laugh

Through today's test

Now that I've got it

It off my chest

We deserve drinks

A little rest.

-ends-

Your Poem Editing Checklist Comic poem by Angela LansburyYou need to check on youngsters every hour. Set an alarm. Call the babysitter or grandparent. Or keep a whatsapp Facetime on permmanently.roudly send

 

1 Does it have rhythmic beat like marching feet?

2 Does your poem have new, surprising rhyme ?

3 Recall it now, easy as trotting down the street?

4 Read aloud, repeat it another time?

5 Did you smile, adding alliteration?

6 Similes and visual metaphors?

7 Don't randomly cut, lose punctuation

8 It needs more work, add signals, tweak, add more

9 Rewrite, polish till reach a satisfying end

10 Then proudly send to me, your reading friend. 

-ends-

copyright Angela Lansbury 2023 April 2nd

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Poetry Or Prose? Comic poem 166

 

In olden times we used to rhyme

And many careful hours were spent

To check the rhythm every time

Before our precious words were sent

So from the first glance you could tell

If your poet was quite unwell

If his rant, or hers, not its, meant

Help, call doctors, social workers

Undertaker, write sympathy

Because a real plea is in prose

But now, we're so confused, who knows

Like texting's terse, poems just verse

An unknown writer, overseas

Shocked all of us with heartfelt pleas

😟

'Modern life is

 killing me

Please save me 

from my enemies!'

Just texts without punctuation

Leaving anxious readers wondering

Should I phone friends - grammar police

Or welfare checks from real police?

After kind readers sent sympathy

'Explain, dear friend,' 'Come round for tea!'

A sharper cynic sent wise words:

'It's not a plea - just poetry.'

-ends-

Copyright Angela Lansbury 2023 March 20th

Photo of suicide prevention barriers on Golden Gate Bridge.