A higher type of mind
he said I would find,
and could probably be
if my verse werenÂ’t free.

“And wouldn’t it be good
to be challenged like you should?
And wouldn’t rhyming be grand?”
he begins his reprimand.
“And who really needs emotional details?
(Besides, of course, you weepy females...)
Go ahead, why donÂ’t you be brave?
IsnÂ’t it time to poetically behave?
Stop it with all of the ardent emotion!
The best kind of poetry lacks devotion.
So go on, Emily, and limit yourself.
Take rhyme and meter off the shelf.
Try something new,” he’ll implore,
and exert his sway from Baltimore.
And force me to sit down and try
my freedom of verse to crucify.
And relearn the ways I swore to forget;
make myself rhythmÂ’s marionette.

“Little Missy,” he’ll say, “that was great!”
and my anxiety heÂ’ll placate.
“Use rhyme or meter any time,
and my love for you will surely climb!
But donÂ’t you dare be free of verse,
or my good feelings just might reverse.”

11/27/2002

Author's Note: As with most rhyming poetry, the seriousness gets thrown out the window. I wrote this for fun (what a concept) and because boys are fascinated by rhymes. It’s eternally silly and I mean nothing by it except that I think Tommy’s really funny. Most of the quotations aren’t really things he said... just the way they could have been interpreted. I especially like the “weepy females” line... after opening (or, um, not opening) of jars. I was glad also to work in the “Little Missy” just cause I like it as a nickname. I hate rhyming in my poetry, but, I must admit, writing this was fun. It may have no emotional value and it probably sounds completely childish, but so what? That’s what rhyming poetry is to me. And what I meant it to be for this poem. There is no way I could have written a serious... erm... free verse poem about this situation. Tommy isn’t usually conducive to serious poetry anyway. : ) So this is for him.

Posted on 11/27/2002
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