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Monday, April 19, 2010

Getting to Shakespeare: A Theorem Meets Its Whimper

He doesn't have an infinite supply of monkeys.
In fact, he doesn't even have one.
Unless you count that stuffed toy on the dresser,
but it can't be expected to type,
not with those tin-cymbals glued to its paws.

Then there's the small matter of time,
which has always run out or been shut in,
at least over his lifetime of so-far off,
and he's not getting any younger,
so if it's gonna happen, it's gotta be now.

He bangs out a big-shot first word.
He thinks it's at random, but who can say for sure.
Galymbon? Maybe that's the name of a king;
it's certainly not one from Shakespeare.
His whimper isn't worthy of tragedy.



The Day 19 NaPoWriMo prompt from ReadWritePoem is called light bulb moments. I don't know if this poem depicts a realization as much as a surrender.

6 comments:

SUSAN SONNEN said...

I like. And what a coincidence, as Robin Reagler posted this (http://networkedblogs.com/33qd7) today!

Rallentanda said...

Stop worrying about time running out Francis. Just get the metal clamps off the paws and Galymbon your way through the woods to the clearing.

Jenny said...

"not with those tin-cymbals glued to its paws" I love the sound this line, for example.

A coincidence, about the ebook! I just self-published a 30 page poetry book on Lulu. :)

gerry boyd said...

Nicely rendered Francis. I think the language you employed is perfect for the subject matter. Great title too. Philosophy, the Bard, and Eliot: perfect together. Bravo!

Francis Scudellari said...

@Susan I love coincidences, especially when they involve monkeys ;).

@Rall That's the best advice I've gotten in some time (he says, while galymbonning off).

@Jenny I didn't put enough thought into my ebook.... I should have included more pieces and arranged them a little differently. It was a new feature offered at HelloPoetry and I was just testing it out. I'll have to check yours out at Lulu.

@Gerry Thanks... it was a bit of an odd concoction for me, so I'm glad it works. Part of me likes the title better than the poem :).

Jenny said...

I did not add a table of contents to my book, for instance. So I guess I was also trying it out more or less. But Lulu is a good place for these things. Now Ande and PO has also made an e-book. It has become a FoS trend. :)