• Submit Poetry
  • Support SCP
  • About Us
  • Members
  • Join
Saturday, October 24, 2026
Society of Classical Poets
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Humor
    • Children’s
    • Art
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Human Rights in China
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Terrorism
    • Covid-19
  • Poetry Forms
    • Sonnet
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Villanelle
    • Rondeau
    • Pantoum
    • Sestina
    • Triolet
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Shape Poems
    • Terza Rima
  • Great Poets
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Homer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Dante Alighieri
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
    • William Blake
    • Robert Frost
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books
No Result
View All Result
Society of Classical Poets
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Humor
    • Children’s
    • Art
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Human Rights in China
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Terrorism
    • Covid-19
  • Poetry Forms
    • Sonnet
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Villanelle
    • Rondeau
    • Pantoum
    • Sestina
    • Triolet
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Shape Poems
    • Terza Rima
  • Great Poets
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Homer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Dante Alighieri
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
    • William Blake
    • Robert Frost
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books
No Result
View All Result
Society of Classical Poets
No Result
View All Result
Home Poetry Humor

‘An Apple a day’ by Jeff Eardley

February 17, 2021
in Humor, Poetry
A A
16
poems 'An Apple a day' by Jeff Eardley

.

The Internet’s a work of art,
Now everybody’s phone is smart.
They’re very compact, very small,
And so, begins a tale so tall.

For once upon a time, a gent,
A load of cash one day he spent.
Delighted now, he was to own,
A brand new, shiny Apple phone.

It truly was his heart’s delight,
He never let it from his sight.
But things would change within a week,
That night he went to take a leak.

For as he closed the bathroom door,
And placed his feet upon the floor.
His fancy phone did start to roll,
And wound up in the toilet bowl.

He plunged his hand inside to get,
The phone, which now was soaking wet.
But all his apps had disappeared,
His phone was weeping tiny tears.

A neighbour then dispensed advice,
“Just stick it in a bag of rice.
Your phone will de-humidify,
And very soon will be bone dry.”

So, courtesy of Uncle Ben,
He did as he was told, and then.
Inside a cupboard, there it sat,
The battery slowly going flat.

That very night, while sound asleep,
a burglar to his room did creep
So quick and nimble on his feet,
He rummaged round for things to eat.

A hearty meal he was in need,
To get back to his lair and feed.
He saw some rice, a nice big bag,
And placed it with his other swag.

He fancied something nice and hot,
He boiled the rice and scoffed the lot.
The phone, which in the rice was put,
It slithered down the burglar’s gut.

So now he often tells the tale,
Whilst supping on his pint of ale.
That crime itself will always pay,
Just eat an Apple every day!

.

.

Jeff Eardley lives in the heart of England near to the Peak District National Park and is a local musician playing guitar, mandolin and piano steeped in the music of America, including the likes of Ry Cooder, Paul Simon and particularly Hank Williams.

ShareTweetPin
The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary.
Read Our Comments Policy Here

RandomPoems

Poetry

‘Zombie Dawning’ and Other Poetry by James Ph. Kotsybar

March 5, 2013

Zombie Dawning The zombies are coming; no one knows why – no time to ponder such things anyhow. Apocalypse gives...

‘What If My Time’ and Other Poetry by Theresa Rodriguez
Beauty

‘What If My Time’ and Other Poetry by Theresa Rodriguez

April 15, 2020

  What If My Time What if my time is limited? if all That I have left is perhaps months,...

Next Post
‘Ashless Wednesday’ by Joe Tessitore

'Ashless Wednesday' by Joe Tessitore

The Power of One: Monosyllables in Classical Poetry

The Power of One: Monosyllables in Classical Poetry

A Monosyllabic Poem: ‘To West’ by Adam Sedia

A Monosyllabic Poem: 'To West' by Adam Sedia

Comments 16

  1. Paul Freeman says:
    6 years ago

    This educational tale of woe
    Went not where I thought it would go;
    The gent would have had much more fun
    With home alarm and twelve bore gun.

    Thanks for the read, Jeff. I’m still grinning like an idiot.

    Reply
    • Jeff Eardley says:
      6 years ago

      Thanks Paul for your lovely poetic response to this piece of nonsense. It is much appreciated.

      Reply
  2. Ann Mitchell says:
    6 years ago

    This was excellent Jeff!!!

    Reply
    • Jeff Eardley says:
      6 years ago

      Thanks Ann, best wishes to you.

      Reply
  3. Margaret Coats says:
    6 years ago

    Jeff, you’re a strumming comedian as well as a musician. Just imagine what a wealth of amusement in verse you might have by the time you’re free to entertain in person again!

    Reply
  4. Jeff Eardley says:
    6 years ago

    Margaret, sadly all music activities over here came to a grinding halt last March. The many nights in busy pubs and restaurants with fellow musicians were so much fun and I miss them terribly. Thank you for your kind comment and for all your highly informative submissions on SCP.

    Reply
  5. David Watt says:
    6 years ago

    Thanks Jeff for a tale well told. I have heard that phones accidentally falling into toilet bowls are prone to gaining unwanted Wii apps.

    Reply
    • Jeff Eardley says:
      6 years ago

      David, as that great icon of Australian culture, Les Patterson, would have said, “Be very careful when pointing Percy at the porcelain”
      Thanks for your kind comment.

      Reply
      • Peter Hartley says:
        6 years ago

        Jeff – Sorry I’m a bit late finding this one, a salutary tale to rival the fables of Æsop, only BETTER. A great pity, though that the burglar’s taste buds hadn’t also been titillated by the collateral prize of a number two.

        Reply
  6. Jeff Eardley says:
    6 years ago

    Peter, thank you for a delightful mental image. I suppose the burglar could have been undecided on what to purloin and ended up caught between two stools. However, today my thoughts are with Susan and Mike shivering in faraway Texas.
    Thanks for your interest and I look forward to your next submission which is taking far too long.

    Reply
    • Mike Bryant says:
      6 years ago

      Jeff… we’re almost out of the woods here in South Texas. The wind turbines have thawed out, the water service has been restored and now we just have to drain the gas out of the generator, roll up the extension cords and get back to our glorious normal lives. Only two more nights of freezing temps, but it looks good. We’re pulling for you and all our friends in Old Blighty to get back to normal too. God bless Texas and Long live the Queen!

      Reply
      • Jeff Eardley says:
        6 years ago

        Great news Mike, we know that this storm has caused tremendous hardship. I hope the humming bird doesn’t invite his pals round for a party, and I’ll tell Tex Gritter to stay put. I predict a maelstrom of Winter poetry cascading onto the SCP. Best wishes and go steady on the Pinot More.

        Reply
  7. Susan Jarvis Bryant says:
    6 years ago

    Jeff, I love this, especially the line; “courtesy of Uncle Ben” – priceless. That old adage; “an apple a day” now holds a completely different meaning, and I thank you for the snigger! This poem has warmed me to the core!

    Reply
    • Jeff Eardley says:
      6 years ago

      Thanks Susan for your kind words and looks like you could be steaming again by the weekend. I have told Tex Gritter to hold fire, along with his pals, Freezy Rider, Thaw Enforcement, William Wilberfrost and my favourite, Itsy Bitsy Teeney Weeney Yellow Anti-Slip Machiney.

      Reply
  8. Jeff Kemper says:
    6 years ago

    A very nice, as you called it, “piece of nonsense.” We need humor like this to endure the political nonsense here in the U.S. Thanks for the laughs!

    Reply
  9. Jeff Eardley says:
    6 years ago

    Jeff, thanks for your kind words. How right you are about political nonsense. We have had decades of it over here. Best wishes my friend.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


  1. BDW on Poems by Derzhavin, Akhmatova, and Tyutchev, Translated by Kevin RainbowOctober 24, 2026

    Tyuchev in München witnessed the convulsion of Europe from his diplomatic post, where he once wrote a poem on Cicero,…

  2. Golan Shahar on ‘Life Lessons from Aunt Ingeborg’ and Other Poetry by Brian YapkoOctober 24, 2026

    Brian, what a delightful display of poetic craftsmanship! I particularly enjoyed how the relentless rhyme scheme in "Aunt Ingeborg" mirrors…

  3. Gerard Maritato on ‘Foam’: A Poem by Josh MitteldorfOctober 23, 2026

    Like wow! I dig that poem, man.

  4. Roy Eugene Peterson on ‘What No Tyrant May Command’: A Poem by Dusty GreinOctober 23, 2026

    You have unearthed a treasure for me with which I had familiarity. Your fascinating tale with exquisite rhyme, I compared…

  5. C.B. Anderson on ‘Life Lessons from Aunt Ingeborg’ and Other Poetry by Brian YapkoOctober 23, 2026

    I never had an Aunt Ingeborg, and that's a good thng, because in many respects I would have pissed her…

Subscribe to Daily Poems

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,661 other subscribers
No Result
View All Result

Resources

       1. A Guide to Writing Poetry

      2. The Best Poems of 2020      

      3. Poetry and Writing Contests

      4. Journals Accepting Formal Verse

Recent Poems

  • ‘Summer’s End’: A Poem by Lauren V. Leon
  • ‘What No Tyrant May Command’: A Poem by Dusty Grein
  • ‘Life Lessons from Aunt Ingeborg’ and Other Poetry by Brian Yapko
  • ‘Foam’: A Poem by Josh Mitteldorf
  • ‘Again Autumnal’: A Poem by K.J. Salzmann
  • ‘Life Is Conflictual’: A Poem by Roy E. Peterson
  • ‘The Siege on Castle Hill’: A Poem by Apollo Clark Co
  • ‘Every New Pantheon’: A Poem by C.B. Anderson
  • ‘Biblical? Emblematic?’: A Poem by Stephen DiLauro
  • ‘The Valley’: A Poem by Briana Reavis
  • The Blobfish—‘Mr Blobby’: A Poem by Paul A. Freeman
  • ‘Nature’s Family’: A Poem by Margaret Coats
  • ‘The River & The Sea’: A Poem by Rohini Sunderam
  • Poems by Derzhavin, Akhmatova, and Tyutchev, Translated by Kevin Rainbow
  • ‘After-Action Report’: A Poem by Joseph S. Salemi
  • ‘The Walking Wounded’: A Poem by Jeffrey Essmann
  • ‘Their Words, My Fault’ and Other Poems by Russel Winick
  • ‘Lazarus I’: A Poem by Jason Hunt
  • Poetry Challenge: Dictionary Delights
  • ‘In Defense of Rhyme’: An Essay by Euphrates Moss
  • ‘Gun Control’: A Poem by Kevin Ahern
  • ‘Power of a Pen’: A Poem by Janice Stanley
  • The Best Haiku of 2026
  • ‘One Night in Bangkok’ and Other Poetry by Brian Yapko
  • ‘Invocation’: A Poem by D.R. Rainbolt
  • ‘Enjoy the Peace, Prepare for War’: A Poem by Roy E. Peterson
  • Faust Part Two, Act One: ‘A Pleasant Landscape’ by Goethe, Translated by Josh Olson
  • A Song Inspired by Robert Frost’s ‘The Road Not Taken’, by Gunny Markefka
  • ‘Reappraisals of Mortality’: A Poem by C.B. Anderson
  • ‘What Is the Measure of My Days?’: A Poem by Peter Venable

Categories

  • Acrostic
  • Alexandroid
  • Alliterative
  • Art
  • Best Poems
  • Blank Verse
  • Chant Royal
  • Classical Poets Live
  • Clerihew
  • Covid-19
  • Deconstructing Communism
  • Educational
  • Epic
  • Epigrams and Proverbs
  • Essays
    • Interviews with Poets
    • Poetry Reviews
  • Featured
  • From the Society
  • Great Poets
    • Dante Alighieri
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Homer
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Robert Frost
    • William Blake
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
  • Human Rights in China
  • Limerick
  • Love Poems
  • Music
  • Pantoum
  • Performing Arts
  • Poetry
    • Beauty
    • Children's Poems
    • Culture
    • Ekphrastic
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Humor
    • Riddles
  • Poetry Challenge
  • Poetry Contests
  • Poetry Forms
    • Curtal Sonnet
    • Haiku
  • Poetry Readings
  • Rhupunt
  • Rondeau
  • Rondeau Redoublé
  • Rondel
  • Rubaiyat
  • Sapphic Verse
  • Satire
  • Science
  • Sestina
  • Shape Poems
  • Short Stories
  • Song Lyrics
  • Sonnet
  • Symposium
  • Terrorism
  • Terza Rima
  • The Environment
  • Translation
  • Triolet
  • Video
  • Villanelle

Quick Links

  • About Us
  • Submit Poetry
  • Become a Member
  • Members List
  • Support the Society
  • Advertisement Placement
  • Comments Policy
  • Terms of Use

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Humor
    • Children’s
    • Art
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Human Rights in China
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Terrorism
    • Covid-19
  • Poetry Forms
    • Sonnet
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Villanelle
    • Rondeau
    • Pantoum
    • Sestina
    • Triolet
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Shape Poems
    • Terza Rima
  • Great Poets
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Homer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Dante Alighieri
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
    • William Blake
    • Robert Frost
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books

© 2025 SCP. WebDesign by CODEC Prime.