I Can Make Poems

Poking fun at poetry, because poetry doesn't mind. And fun at myself, because I don't either.

I can alliterate. I can make poems.

I can count syllables all the way home.

I can punctuate. Or I can enjamb.

I can make a full stop go on the lam.

I can preposition. I can stylise.

I can even (blame not) - plagiarise.

I can make adjectives sing stereo,

Do the vis a vis, and the dosi-do!

I can say a thing without the thing said,

And float that thing way out above your head.

I can allude, and I can construe ya.

I can elegize horny Neruda.

I can assonate. I can leave out rhyme:

"Free-ball" is me! I do it all the time.

Well, some of the time - I will rightly say.

Most of the time there’s no other way

But to couple the train and lay the tracks

Precisely spaced and properly backed

By ideologues with humour; and soul;

With topical causes; or none at all…

I can syntaxify. I can bend grammar.

Apologise. Analogise. Hammer

A point. Gild the lily. Stammer the count.

And I can waffle and have it amount

To conjunctivitis! Yes, it’s so true.

I can make poems and I am telling you

I can paint colours in bare black and white:

The sun may be up but I can stretch night

From margin left to margin right. Hyphenate

A long-winded line. And so subjugate

That delinquent thought, run off with its’ tongue,

Forsaking good form and having nude fun…

I can cry. I can bleed. And then proceed

To quote the dusty, worn out lines I read

On ‘rules’, on ‘rights’, on ‘technique’ and ‘freedom’.

And I can pretend that I don’t need ‘em.

I can articulate. Synonymise.

Illustrate. Lobotomise dotted “I’s”

And drop the “G’s”. Colloquialise

To have a character realised.

‘Coz I can make poems. And I can spell check.

I can rattle on with clunky accents.

I can cliché, and I can haiku, too.

I can lyricize, and I can loonacise true.

I can change register and in disguise

Choose a pseudonym with whom I can hide.

I can bawl a ballad and get it all rollin’

With fireworks enlightenin’ the old semi-colon!

I can abbreviate. I can contract.

Euphemise. Eulogise. Start an attack

On participles, and apostrophes;

Dangling like scraps where they ought not to be!

I can use English most frilly, or crude.

I can pre-amble and I can conclude.

I can reiterate: I can make poems.

I can make poems. I can. I can make poems.

 

Reviews

[Bright Ocean Star]

Jacob, thank you for directing my attention this way. This poem is hysterical fun. I love the 'couple the train and lay the tracks" only one of several favorite, clever lines. I do have a favorites file, and this is definitely going in it. Great job!

[V]

Refreshing, amusing and entertaining read. This reads really like to be read out or performed aloud. I enjoyed reading this one very much. A witty and intelligent way of combining words and forming a poetry style piece.
I can relate to your way of words. The wittiness in it could be mine too. Well done.

[charlie]

Yes - this could be everyones poem :)

[V]

It could be a poem by writers with a certain kind of wit and pleasure to express it.

[Nisreen]

You are funny ........... lol

[The Twin Arenas]

required goddamn reading for to continue

[Viv Wade]

You certainly can make poems! I've only just discovered that I can too, and this one of yours really sums up how I feel about it! Thanks for sharing this.

[Derty Steve]

I love it. You're a genius. You can do all that fancy stuff but I love how you encourage others to just write how they wish and how everyone has their own style.

[charlie]

Hi Steve. Thanks for reading. I appreciate that.

[Beccy]

Not so much poking fun, (though poetry should be fun,) as showing what can be done with a pure understanding of this wonderful language of ours.

Loved it to bits.

Beccy.

[Cindy Marietta]

Haha wow this poem is great! Very enjoyable to read with a happy, light feel to it. Great word choice throughout, with a great ending.

[charlie]

Thanks very much, AmandaSupertramp... (Your name reminds me of "Into The Wild" movie) I write phone books, too!

[Cindy Marietta]

Thank you! And that is exactly where the name comes from! It is my favorite movie, and Chris is one of my biggest inspirations! I'm glad you have heard of it!

[charlie]

May you get out into the wind and the wide arms of the out of doors just as soon as you can. There is more song and more poetry and more living treasure there than one can hold. But plenty to share.

[Cindy Marietta]

Beautifully said! :)

[Coyote Poetry]

Yes you can. Amazing use of the English language. You took the reader to good places and thoughts. I like the flow of thoughts leading to the very good ending. Thank you for sharing the excellent poetry.
Coyote

[charlie]

And thanks to you, too, for your positive review.

[Coyote Poetry]

You are welcome.

[Droc]

(quote) I can paint colours in bare black and white:. The sun may be up but I can stretch night (unquote). We all hope for at least one 'gem 'in our poems, but this poem is full of them. Quite a creative and seemingly complex mind you have Charlie. Brilliant work. My favorite line though is the final line. You can make poems.You can. You can make poems!

[charlie]

Hi Droc. Thanks for taking this time, and for your encouragement.

[Jimmy Yetts]

And you can be most entertaining while telling us about it.
More than worth the read, charlie.