Friday, October 17, 2008

Another Poem


"You should put more poems here," Lucy commented a couple of posts back. I've thought it over and decided to be brave and do just that.

So, here is another poem I wrote in high school. I do not have this one memorized, by the way. I came across it recently while going through things in my office.

It must have been graded strictly on form rather than content, because it got a 100.

After a Day in the Library
When I Wanted to Talk

Miss Browning, our librarian,
Was heard to threaten, "Hush!"
If soon you do not quiet down,
Your body I shall smush."

But I continued talking on:
I couldn't hold it in.
And then I learned that in her view
That was a deadly sin.

She kept her vow, and although now
I'm far from being dead,
My eyes peep out from 'neath my knees,
And toes sprout from my head.


You see what I mean about content?

I really wonder what inspired this poem, because I didn't tend to be a talker, and I don't recall Miss Browning being particularly severe. It must have been an unusual day when I did talk a lot, and perhaps not being used to reprimand, I was just very impressed by hers? I don't know.

Actually, now on re-reading, I see themes of social stereotyping, violence, rebellion, hamartiology...It does have some pretty important content when you look more deeply. Ha!

Lucy, do you still think I should put more poems here? :-)

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's really funny :)

Lucy said...

Yeah!

I love 'smush'!

lisa b said...

Oh my. Just for the record, not all librarians are shushers. I'm probably the least shushing librarian ever in the history of the world.

Sheila said...

I'm not surprised, Lisa! :-)

Perhaps I should have added as a postscript to the poem that I really like libraries to be quiet, and I'm glad she was shushing, because I was obviously not being considerate.

lisa b said...

Aunt Sheila, I love the librarian. I know teenage girls say this, but LOL!

Love, Daniel