Thursday, January 05, 2006

Rhyme, no reason

Doing pomes, are we? Chalo, meri baari. Found this one in BBC's Wildlife magazine, September 2003. Part of a poetry contest organised by the magazine and Poetry Please, Radio 4.

Birds keep flying

in and out of my poem,
perching on the adjectives,
nesting between the lines.

They strut about
on long spindly legs
looking for worms
with their big beaks.

Their songs
are the most beautiful colours.

One of them is flying upside down.
I think that means
it feels at home.

I wouldn't mind, only
I had forty-eight lines on the nature of life
that they've pecked to ribbons,
and their droppings
have messed up all the rhymes.

I'm afraid they'll have to go.

-Michael Swan

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