Thread: The Old Clay Pot

Consider the song of the old clay pot.
He chases and chases and catches her not.
Willing she is to feel his embrace,
And longing she is to end this sad race.

So off they go with the priest and the cow.
The maiden is thinking up plans as to how
This timeless endeavour can be made to end
And she can at last be one with her friend.

The cow is thinking 'This is a nice day
'To frolic and run in the pasture and play,
'But who is this man with his ugly great knife?
'I suppose he's a watchman to safeguard my life.'

The flutist is fluting a jolly old song,
All about Spring and the days getting long.
He knows that his union card has expired
No one asked the question the day he was hired.

So we'll go to the attic and find the old books
And read about girls being chased for their looks.
All about truth and beauty we'll read,
And know that good lookin' is all that we need.

I enjoyed this garza, gave me a big smile, especially that last line. You really should post here more often, this is good stuff.

garza! As a true literati would say "You just blew me away" (didn't mean to rhyme). This is an incredibly exceptional piece. The flow and freshness of it, like a cool stream. I'm no expert of rhyme and meter but have been aquainting myself with iambic pentameter and the trochaic. Trying, here, to figure out if the stresses are two or three syllable feet. I'm just the dark free verse gal. Nevertheless, an impeccable "beat".

He knows that his union card has expired
No one asked the question the day he was hired.

Clever throughout but I thought this outstanding.

So we'll go to the attic and find the old books
And read about girls being chased for their looks.
All about truth and beauty we'll read,
And know that good lookin' is all that we need

It's a brilliant wrap up! And like Cindy, I take to the last line!

I read this poem three times just for the sheer pleasure of it. I think we're talking about a "professional work", here. You really must visit more often. There's alway a seat awaiting you. Laurie ~

Thanks to both of you. I had fun writing it, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

This is iambic quadrameter, four beats to the measure though retaining the general, but not strict, pattern of ten syllables. It also retains the rhymed couplets, two per stanza, of heroic verse but reduced to the commonplace by the missing fifth beat.

The ending continues to parody Keats, that's all.