Square Poem

Though some may say I’m a square,
Some others think I’m a round peg,
May think I’m doing well to care.
Say I’m doing it with help. Not
I’m a well with water. So what?
A round to help? So are they!
Square peg, care not what they say.


© Graeme Williams 2012

My wife recently posted a link on my facebook page to Mark Forsyth's Inky Fool blog. He was looking at a square poem by Lewis Carroll where every line and corrisponding column reads the same (if that makes sense). My wife thought it might be an interesting challenge for me.

The Weather's Wet!

The weather’s wet, and skies are grey,
I wish I could just stay in bed,
But I must go to work today,

I’m safe beneath the warm duvet,
Not thinking ‘bout the day ahead,
The weather’s wet, and skies are grey,

If only I could stay away,
I’d rather be at home instead,
But I must go to work today,

"Get up, get out, and earn your pay!"
A little voice screams in my head.
The weather’s wet, and skies are grey,

A normal British summer’s day,
With forecasts of more rain ahead,
But I must go to work today,

I wish there were another way,
In which to earn my daily bread,
The weather’s wet, and skies are grey,
But I must go to work today.

© Graeme Williams 2012

This poem is also available on www.poemhunter.com. Photograph taken from Presence Photography's photostream on flickr and used under the creative commons licence. I must, however, apologise as his photograph is actually of Dublin in Ireland rather than Britain, but the photograph so matched the poem that I hope he'll forgive me.

In Farmers' Fields

In farmers’ fields the lovers go,
Sneak, hand in hand, where crops do grow,
Take off their clothes; together lie,
To kiss and touch beneath the sky,
Their bodies warm in summer’s glow

And if the chill North wind should blow,
They’ll shelter ‘neath the tall hedgerow,
To live and love and laugh and sigh,
In farmers’ fields.

Some lovers come and some may go,
Into the fields where crops do grow,
But if the farmer they should spy,
They’ll have to run: clothes all awry,
Before there’s time their seed to sow,
In farmers’ fields.

© Graeme Williams 2012

A Rondeau which is based on that famous piece by John McCrae called In Flander's Fields. No disrespect is intended to the original author, or indeed, to the memory of those who died during the First World War. Photograph taken from Secret Tenerife's photostream on flickr and used under the creative commons licence.

Counting Sheep

If I, at night, should find I cannot sleep,
Then, in extremis, I try counting sheep,
And if I’m helpless with anxiety,
Merinos are the best variety.

© Graeme Williams 2012

This poem is also available on www.poemhunter.com. Photograph taken from Alex E. Proimos' photostream on flickr and used under the creative commons licence.

Looking In The Mirror

Wiser and
Older now but,
Love desiring.
Nevertheless,
Ageing gracefully,
And still sensuous;
Desiring and desirable.
Youth lost but wisdom gained,
Visible in the mirror’s reflection.
Mature
Reflection mirrors the invisible:
Gained wisdom but lost youth.
Desirable and desiring,
Sensuous still and
Gracefully ageing,
Nevertheless,
Desiring love,
But now older
And wiser.

© Graeme Williams 2012



Photograph taken from Amanda Slater's photostream on flickr and used under the creative commons license.

The Space Race

The Twentieth Century saw a race,
For the outer reaches of space,
The needs of the human race,
Were steadily replaced,
As with undue haste,
The nations raced,
And embraced,
The chase,
Space!

© Graeme Williams 2012