Measuring

Tags

measuring, poem, poetry, Traditional Australian poetry

How many readers actually honestly like the poetry that they read
these days? Are some influenced by fashion? Without the “accepted” view
by the poetry establishment that free verse post modern poetry is good
would people really think it was? let’s be honest – I doubt it.

I know it’s true but rather sad;
A child can tell the good from bad,
So try that juvenile insight;
Forget what’s learned, just know what’s right

Of measures taken as a rule
To give a score to poetry,
From dullest stone to polished jewel
Perhaps the best is honesty.

Not to by line and word dissect
And by mere structure find defect,
Or judge by other’s thoughts alone
(Opinions hardly set in stone).

By fashion praise or denigrate;
By biased preconceptions rate,
But cultivate an open mind
While parrying the closed, the blind.

Let each intrinsic sense apply;
Distill the truth by mind and eye,
And find in varying degree
The honest worth of poetry.

© Dennis N. O’Brien, 2012

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Abode of the Grecian, Ern

Tags

grecian, poem, poetry

Alright, if you want to be pedantic Ernesto is not a Greek name
but there must be Greeks named Ernesto, well at least one (that’s all I need).

Now here’s a tale of the Grecian, Ern,
Whose fortunes soon were to take a turn,
For Ernesto spent more than he could earn
So this spendthrift Greek would a lesson learn.

He was only fifty when he retired,
Now his pension’s halved and the plan’s backfired,
For his country’s credit has just expired
And his house has been by the banks acquired.

Yes Ernie the Greek has lost his home.
Thank the Euro socialist-left syndrome.
Who’s next to be written in the tome
Of such disasters – Madrid or Rome?

But Ern’s been living on borrowed time;
Turns out his home loan was sub sub prime.
A mountain of debt too steep to climb,
But austerity, Ernie declares a crime.

He’ll vote for the party that will not pay
The money they owe till their dying day,
For reneging on debts is Ernie’s way
And he’ll tear up the contract without delay.

They’ve impressive ruins and fine statues
But beware of Greeks bearing IOUs.
When you ask for payment they may refuse
And if they won’t pay then we all will lose.

Now Ernie the Aussie, the Greeks he mocks,
But the only difference is he’s got rocks
Full of gold and iron to inflate his stocks
But the Aussie Ern should pull up his socks.

For Australian houses are dear as hell
And our debt is excessive here as well.
If commodities crash Ern may have to sell.
Greek tragedies may be a warning bell.

© Dennis N. O’Brien, 2012