Present Without Listening verse aka PWOL Poetry
Some years ago in the Seagoe Hotel, Portadown I found myself listening to advice on how to avoid heart attacks, strokes and stress. Mid way through I attempted to answer the obvious question “Why am I still sitting alongside carriers of said heart attacks, strokes and stress at the company health day.” After admitting truthfully to myself that the answer was money, but consoling myself with the knowledge that I too was a carrier I allowed my mind to wander. And so was born PWOL verse.
My enforced attendance gave me my first line of thought, “I could have been”. The prospect of a weekend away gave me my second and third lines “in Bordeaux”, and “in a chateau”. Another awful rhyme of “sipping Pernod“ sadly could not be resisted but I fought back with a vengeance using irony “But I want to be here “ and “in the Seagoe”.
Yes, seriously bad poetry complete with seriously bad irony but nonetheless a new verse form [ABBBCB]was born. And how quickly the day passed.
I now proudly present PWOL verse to the world. This new verse form deliberately careless with metre and stress leaves you free to concentrate on the rhyme should you find yourself
- in the wrong place,
- at the wrong time
- for the wrong reason
- and you wish to be PWOL – Present Without Listening.
eg 1
I could have been Robinson Crusoe
dipping my big toein the eau
but I want to be here
in the Seagoe
eg 2
I could have been a baseball pro
making big dough
“say it ain’t so Joe”
but I want to be here
in the Seagoe.
eg 3
I could have been dancing toe to toe
saying hello
to Marilyn Monroe
but I want to be here
in the Seagoe
Just remember not to stay at The Ritz.
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PS especially useful when listening to speeches made by Sir Reg eMPey (in waiting)
I was just going to take a peek, was not going to say a word, but PWOL truthfully describes most of my working life. Well done, I may return from time to time...
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