Tuesday, February 9, 2010

"Please"- a Pantoum Poem

Backstory: I'm the editor of our English department newsletter; I inherited the problem of trying to get it published online. After a year of gently reminding, pleading, and sometimes even whining, I've decided to be a bit more aggressive. Dr. Vance is in charge of the English website, and he keeps promising to put the newsletters online. He's also my Creative Writing professor who is strongly encouraging me to explore poetry. Dr. Vance wants me to write poems; I want Dr. Vance to put the newsletter online. This is what comes out. (Not a finished product).

"Please"

If only I were clever,
I'd have a poem about viewing the newsletter* online,
but we both know we'll see it never.
Oh, it would be so fine.

I'd have a poem about viewing the newsletter online,
the joy of having a new website,
oh, it would be so fine
to show the newsletter in a new light.

The joy of having a new website,
the PDFs are ready to go,
to show the newsletter in a new light,
but why is the process painstakingly slow?

The PDFs are ready to go,
and every month again I try,
but why is the process painstakingly slow?
This has become my battle cry.

And every month again I try,
but we both know we'll see it never.
This has become my battle cry,
if only I were clever.

<>< Katie
*Author's Note: I edited out the newsletter name for privacy reasons. Since meter doesn't really matter in this pantoum, I don't feel the need to replace it with a two-syllable word. Instead, the word "newsletter" will suffice. However, the real name flows off the tongue better.

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