That's the thought for the day, as the TFE's Poetry Bus driver at Muse Swings asked us to pen a ditty about any strange/unusual/thought provoking gift, given or received, in order to secure a seat on her transport of delight this week.
At first, I thought I would have to be a stay-at-home passenger (!?) but eventually remembered a pottery creation which certainly came under the 'strange' category. Maybe later today, I'll be inspired to produce a graphic sketch to better explain this strangeness, but for now, I leave you with these lines. Some Bloggers may note with surprise, I have chosen to follow the latest trend for free form poetry which wanders down the page, but have married it to my love of rhyme. Compromise is a wonderful thing.
The Gift
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...
I was once given a candle holder
which lacked
the knack
to inspire admiration.
A generation
would be hard pressed
to best
describe
this tribe
of childlike forms,
unlike any norm-
al bodies. Their botties
sat on a circle of potties,
or so it appeared.
The modelling was weird.
I may have misconstrued
these rude
blobs of clay -
who can say?
Perhaps each was meant
to represent
a chair ?
To be fair,
the joined hands
of this happy band
of pilgrims formed a ring,
to sing
the praises
of friendship. It amazes
me each time I recall the delight
of a friend who saw this candle light
and expressed a wish
to possess the dish!.
It was my salvation!
Liberation!
I presented it to her on the spot.
Did I regret it? Not one jot!
The Lord gaveth, and Jinksy gaveth it away! This is quite an unusual verse form - rhyming couplets in irregular line lengths. Interesting. And funny, as we have come to expect.
ReplyDeleteLove it! These so-called friendship circles are everywhere aren' they? Have never seen one on potties though - the mind rather boggles.
ReplyDeleteLove the little internal rhymes and the lovely flowing way the verse plays out to its perfect end. Sounds quite intriguing!
ReplyDeletesounds a bit like the "candy dish" I made for my Dad when I was little. The monstrosity! It stayed on his desk for years...
ReplyDeleteVery cleverly done!
ReplyDeleteCJ xx
Can't wait for the graphic version! And to think, someone gave it with love!
ReplyDeleteWell done! There"s a home for everything.
ReplyDeletea twist on ring around the rosie?! steven
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see that. Very cleaver rhyming. I am studying the poetry. I have an online site where I can do that. I am better at just writing the feeling but don't always have the rhyming. Happy New year.
ReplyDeleteQMM
Having just given my daughter three strange items I had in the cupboard (won at raffles when I was attempting to win the wine) I can empathise with you here. I can see why you would have wanted to pass this candle holder on.
ReplyDeleteLove the addition of "wandering"verse. However, I love the story. What little verse I wrote in school was called in our English classes, "free verse." It used a lot of alliteration, etc. and rhythm but no rhyme.
ReplyDelete"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."
OOPs I slipped into the fact the time has come when I repent and resolve many things, few of which come to pass. We call it New Year's resolutions. A few come have been kept bit I fear they number the fingers of one hand.
In the U.S. of A. the concept of which you write (giving someone something you have that you don't want) is known as "regifting"....
ReplyDeletei like the cascade of rhymes tumbling down the page like that. Having had you describe it, I think I would actually like your little circle of potty-children.
ReplyDeleteI so love visiting you jinksy, I never know what I am going to read, I only know it will be great, funny and somewhere within there is always a lesson to be learned....:-)Hugs
ReplyDeleteSomeone gave me one of these too once. Doesn't it amaze you that someone looked at it and thought, oh that's perfect for her! How wrong can you be? Mind you, everytime I see one, I DO think of her, so I suppose that's something.
ReplyDeleteI loved the bit about the potties.
I have one of these friendship circles, not on potties though! Mine sits in the garden, surrounded by a lavender bush, and is used to hold the garden hand trowels and forks.
ReplyDeleteGreat poem, great rhyming and love tha ending!
ReplyDeleteA few years ago nearly everyone who gave a gift gave candles and candle holders. None of them, however, contained little babes on pottie chairs. Love your poem!
ReplyDeleteMy sister has a 'blobs of clay' piece like this ... love your wandering words that rhyme so beautifully.
ReplyDeletelove the 2 lines in the beginning,
ReplyDeletebeautiful delivery.
Happy Tuesday.
Greetings, how are you?
ReplyDeleteWelcome join us at potluck week 16, with theme as celebrations and festivities..
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xoxox
Very clever Penny! I think I know the object you are referring to here in your poem and picture as I have seen something like it before - somewhere - Dave
ReplyDeleteaaaaah, so that's what to do with those weird gifts, heee heee heeeee. i may just do the same.
ReplyDeleteLove the interesting picture, glad there is not too much detail, but potties is very unique. Your poetry did not dip into ribald, although I think some might decide to go in that direction.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness the 12 days of Christmas does not include potties.
Your poem made me laugh. It describes this sort of ring so perfectly. One persons treasure.. and all that.
ReplyDeleteA clever rhyme scheme and its containing rhythm help the slow build towards the full ghastly revelation of the artifact in question to great effect. A neat piece of drollery!
ReplyDelete