And now, here's some light verse, about time too!. It wasn't meant to be thus, but the poem took on a life of its own. I haven't had such fun (in writing) since "Genome". I subsequently discovered an unintended (subconscious?) reference to an episode of a famous British sit-com. Any guesses?
The title, "Alas", is a sound-play on "Hellas", i.e. Greece. Sit back and smile, or even laugh!
Alas
Sweat-drips ooze from his pensive brow
to smudge his newly written words.
The sun assaults his balding head.
Perhaps a hat or factor sixty block?
Oh no; more paper is priority.
The local shop offers a toilet roll.
It's clear , to this poet at least, that Greeks
can't understand plain English. Lord Byron
never suffered for his art like this.
Two ouzos later, he tries the paper:
his epic starts to flow. Aglow, he pours
another, misses the glass, and Illiad
mark 2 is used to wipe the mess.
"It's gone!" he wails, trying to unravel
his sodden masterpiece. By now he needs
the toilet: alas no paper. The same
shopkeeper donates an A4 ream for free;
his ancient walnut face creased with a grin.
Andrew McGeever
Corfu, July 2004.
Alas.
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Andrew McGeever
- Posts: 905
- Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2002 10:02 pm
! Love its lighthearted irony, and how poetic justice plys [spelling to keep the pun intact 
] its trade. When I saw the title, I thought it to be a sound play on "A lass." Sounds like you had a great time on Corfu -
Andrew McGeever
- Posts: 905
- Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2002 10:02 pm