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Abecedarian Poem
O, Abece-what?
Sing it with me… ABCDEFG HIJK ElemenoPEEEEE!
Another blasted form? The would-be poet sighs,
Blank’s drawn. “Free verse — free me!” she cries.
Creativity, at first, is stifled; yet,
Daring wordplay, challenged (with a bet)
Emerges. Raise the stakes, she thinks.
Form’s rigid structure, while constrained,
Gives wiggle-room for thoughts unchained.
Hang words, ideas, like hats upon a rack —
Inside, tuck rabbits (for magic’s all they lack)
Just so…a little sleight of hand, and wow!
Kiss the air and take a bow.
Less, no longer! Now, the ABC’s are so
Much more than merely what you think you know.
Never underestimate the power of a dare
Or challenge, plucked from thinnest air.
Pied Pipers, lurking everywhere, lead silly
Quests. We follow, swaying, dancing, willy-nilly —
Restless — unconcerned, for now, with looking
Silly. Mental calisthenics — it’s not “Great poetry,” but
Tests our mettle. Our thirst for praise, somewhat
Unquenched, unsatisfying verdict handed down:
Versifiers, all of us. No Poets Laureate are we —
We do well, to mind our
X
Y
Zs.
