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Sunday 7 August 2011

There Should be a Bird Called a Poet

There should be a bird called a poet.
What would its plumage be?
Would it twitter away in ducktyls?
Would both sexes sing, he and she?

I ask, having read in the news
how poets have twittered on twitter
demanding an airing for views
that are growing increasingly bitter

re The Poetry Soc's upper twigs.
On Facebook, forsaking their crumbs,
they're coming together in gigs -
their harmony baffles and numbs.

They're demanding that birds that have flown
the nest in frustration and pique
should be reinstated and shown
that the board, not the poets, are weak.

So what of my bird called a poet?
It should have some teeth in its beak,
teeth it reserves for the nest -
to use them outside is not chic.

Its feathers would end disarrayed,
it would stagger around on mixed feet,
any rondo or sonnet it made
would nose dive into the street.

So you'll not find it out where it matters,
doing battle with giants or a troll,
a world grown hungry, in tatters;
but twittering tunes that lull.

(For background: see here)

10 comments:

kaykuala said...

Wonderful verse Dave! Would there come a time twittering will be in poetry. Or the other way round where poetry would come to twitter. Are they wearing the same 'plumage' ie doing everything what we do now? I think not!Twitter can't stomach it.

Jenny Woolf said...

It's always sad when people forget that they should band together to face a potentially hostile world. Look what's happened in the USA (on a much more serious scale of course). In fighting is the sign of inward disease. Love the phrase "mixed feet" - absolutely accurate description of this!

Tabor said...

So even poets have dirty laundry?

Carl said...

Who knew poets had disagreements!

Crafty Green Poet said...

very good commentary on the situation!

Mary said...

I read the background material. I wonder what will be found out about this dispute as all is revealed. The situation has the makings of a good mystery!

Windsmoke. said...

Two words "Mixed Feet", must be a mutant bird with two different feet, makes my mind boggle, very thought provoking. As for twitter and facebook no thanks :-).

Hannah Stephenson said...

I'm grateful that us birds can sing together here in the internet and world (though I'm not so much for embittered twitter rants).

Such good sounds in this, too.

Misterio Vida said...

hmmm....so poets are humans afterall :)

Dave King said...

kaykuala
Much thanks for the response, not least for the questions you raise. Some real brain-teasers there! You may be right about Twitter. Thanks again.

Jenny
I enjoyed reading your reply. Yes, I agree re the banding together - or lack of it - and thanks for the feedback on "mixed feet". Useful, that sort of comment.

Tabor
Indeed they do, and The Poetry Society is becoming known for it.

Carl
This is not the first time for The Poetry Society. Some while ago they had a very public and "bloody" civil war fought between those who rhyme and those who don't. I think the latter won. It became an event to remark upon if a rhyming poem was accepted for publication.


Crafty Green Poet
A reassuring comment. I had thought I might be getting behind the times.

Mary
Could be - or if could all boil down to petty jealousies and/or empire building.

Windsmoke
I thought maybe a bird with its feet on the wrong way. Two different sizes would fit the poetic ohrase more aptly, of course.

Hannah
Having heard your singingon the internet recently, I'm glad also that you can!

Muhammad
Indeed - did you ever doubt it?