I ... entered the poem of life, whose purpose is ... simply to witness the beauties of the world, to discover the many forms that love can take. (Barabara Blackman in 'Glass After Glass')

These poems are works in progress and may be updated without notice. Nevertheless copyright applies to all writings here and all photos (which are either my own or used with permission). Thank you for your comments. I read and appreciate them all, and reply here to specific points that seem to need it — or as I have the leisure. Otherwise I reciprocate by reading and commenting on your blog posts as much as possible.

3 July 2017

Nomenclature

He's asking us to write a 'curtal sonnet'.
I told him once before, the word's 'curtail'
(as in truncation, lopping off) but he

persisting with his error – set upon it –
will judge our efforts. I don't want to fail.
I'd better just shut up and let it be.

They call me grammar Nazi; spelling too.
I like precision to the nth detail.
And Hopkins said 'curtail', so why not me? ...

Oh, never mind the name – just write one, do!
(Or three.)


Written for a form challenge at Poetic Asides.

(Adopting a bit of a persona for this one. I don't REALLY think I'd be failed for cheekily correcting a spelling mistake.  And actually, it turns out he's right, I'm wrong! I have now ascertained that 'curtal' is a variant of 'curtail', and is indeed the word used to describe this form.)


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