The Tangled Branch Discussion Forums

Nobody told me it was World Poetry Day today, or I'd have thought of something. Probably something like this...


Whirled Poetry Day is a strange event,
a day to collect all your verses,
good and bad alike,
and do something with them.

Tie them up into a cloth, 
like preparing a steamed pudding,
if you remember such things.

Tie it to a long string, tightly mind,
and whirl it around like a bull-roarer,
if you remember them from real festivals.

If you can't remember either go back to sleep,
and in the morning this will mean nothing,
which may be all for the best.

At maximum velocity smash it hard,
against a freshly white-washed wall.
Remember when white-wash meant something?

Drop the battered cloth, look at the marks.
the dots, the splatters, the lines.
If it looks like a painting you're an artist.

But if those strange sigils, those random runes,
look even remotely like letters,
then, like it or not, you're a poet.

Gyppo

Hey Gyppo,

Fun poem. My only nit is the title. Someone must have told you or you wouldn't have written this clever poem. How about a title that speaks to the N's shock at hearing there is a day set aside for poetry?