Leave your endless odes at the door please! Sometimes all it takes is a couplet to hit the spot. Post your witty or clever couplet of rhymed verse in the comments section below. Here are some examples from the challenge initiator Roy E. Peterson:
Our Christmas Party
Our office party was a blast.
The cop cars got there pretty fast.
A Pan Is a Pan
A pan is a pan. A kettle has a spout.
A man is a man. The reason will stick out.
Sitting in Public
If you sit in public and a stranger’s next to you,
Ask him, “Did you bring the money? I did what I had to do.”
Antivirus Wipes
I finally cleaned my house today and dusted TV panels.
Alas, my antivirus wipes lost all of the news channels.
Here are a few more:
Explaining
If what I said does not stick in your brain,
I don’t have the time nor crayons to explain.
My Silence
My silence does not mean I could agree with your big mess.
It is just that your stupidity has left me speechless.
Believe in Yourself
I believe in myself, I know I can do everything.
If cauliflower makes pizza bread, I can be anything.
Dog for Free
I have a dog to give you. I need no recompense.
But first I must jump over my neighbor’s picket fence.
MORNING BREW
If I don’t have my coffee,
I’ll function quite offly
I just knew this challenge was right for you!
Count upon the nodding masses
To elevate the sodding asses.
I put this couplet in the category of “modern realism.” This one is a concise arrow that hits the intended target. Thank you for the clever contribution.
Love this spot-on two liner Mike. Sadly, I feel it applies to Canada right now.
That saddens me, Norma, but I have read some articles on Canada, and you are correct.
Thanks!! Norma!
These are bd rhyming quatrains rather than couplets, but here’s some advice from our “Marital Methodology” leaflet: Electronic inter-spousal communication should be in rhyming quatrains – “if there were a cup of Coffee / to pour into the abyss / I could get up quite productive / as if nothing were amiss.” – “Do you have a known location? / Are you on the planet Earth? / can you tell me your vocation / for whatever it may be worth?”
Fred, I am fine with these poems as couplets. “A poetry couplet is a pair of two consecutive lines that form a unified unit of meaning, most often linked by rhyme, meter, or both. The essential feature is that the two lines work together as a complete thought.” Many couplets can also be formed structurally in a quatrain. “A Pan…” is the one out of four that would also make a good quatrain.
Fred, just for reference, one source of famous couplets mentioned: “Though originally in quatrains, many English renderings emphasize paired lines of philosophical reflection, often functioning like couplets in spirit and structure.”
I should have thought of this one for the introduction:
Concise Couplets
So much can be said with a couplet that’s concise.
Length is not important when wording is precise.
Yes.
Spin the bottle, kiss the chick —
Get her horizontal quick.
Mercy, I really had to laugh at that one! Great contribution.
You won’t have any fans among the woke brigade, but it’s a clever couplet!
The following famous couplets, some with commentary, that may be of interest:
Alexander Pope — Essay on Criticism
“A little learning is a dangerous thing;
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring.”
John Dryden — Portrait of Zimri
“A man so various, that he seemed to be
Not one, but all mankind’s epitome.”
William Shakespeare — closing couplets in his sonnets
“So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.”
Shakespeare often ends sonnets with a rhyming couplet that reframes or resolves the poem’s argument.
Geoffrey Chaucer — The Canterbury Tales
Chaucer’s Middle English couplets form the backbone of his narrative verse, establishing the tradition of the rhyming iambic pentameter couplet later perfected by Dryden and Pope.
Clement Clarke Moore — A Visit from St. Nicholas
“’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;”
The poem unfolds in rhyming couplets that create its memorable storytelling rhythm.
Andrew Frisardi — “Rain at Night”
“The city lies back in its winding-sheet
While little digits drum a steady beat”
A modern example showing how couplets can evoke atmosphere and imagery.
It’s funny when you call a woman Honey,
Unless her ass is sweeter than molasses.
Mercy, C.B. An interesting internal rhyme for a couplet. Thank you for sharing.
The couplets below are lines 390-400 of my heroic couplet satire The Wokeiad:-
And now beyond the candelabra’s glow
Primordial Nox insinuates a toe.
The porters pick up all the hardcore porn
Composting on the College Master’s lawn,
And jowly Fellows yawning stretch their legs
And drain the Tawny down to its last dregs,
And mouldy Stalinist and Maoist creep
Leave off their quarrel and retire to sleep,
And soon the quad resounds with gurgling snores
Of rat-arsed monomaniacal bores.
Richard, great contribution. This fits with the many great heroic couplets of history.
The prepper has become the doomsday hero…
Survival rates are still a great big zero.
Great rhyming couplet and another concise arrow!
If it is spoken with one’s dying breath,
it leaves a whisper that out lingers death.
David, this is so true. It made me think of deathbed confessions, prayers, and other such final words. Wonderful contribution.
STARDOM
Money, fame, complete success –
How’d it turn to such a mess?
BREAKING UP
It’s been a long time since they kissed.
The hand he held is now a fist.
David, both of these are great couplets related to reality. Thank you for these.
Thanks Roy, this challenge was fun.
One Hero, Two Jackasses
I died a hero, brave, to save – myself, from two: one crazy knave /
The dude I saved? That one who spoke – all dull and trite: what jackass bloke
Alec, interesting contribution. Thank you for sharing.
Servetus found the source of pulmonary circulation,
but “heretics” were poorly served by Calvin’s condemnation.
Excellent couplet of historic acumen and value. Thank you, Corey, for sharing.
On Twin Sisters with Eating Disorders
One was an anorectic shrimp,
The other a brontosauran blimp.
(from A Gallery of Ethopaths)
Those are amazing and funny! Great contribution!
Inversion
The pious throw shadows that swallow the light
While rebels light torches that brighten the night.
Wow, a great one Mike! I love how you so concisely treated the subject matter of the pious and the rebels. You said so much in your couplet.
Me in a fight:
If I got into a fight, I might look terrible.
I only hope that I can make it memorable.
HELPING MY PRETTY NEIGHBOR
By Roy E. Peterson
I just helped my pretty neighbor bury a heavy carpet.
Her boyfriend would have done it, but he’s out of town, darn it!
(Hint: Why was the carpet so heavy?)
Muzzled
When demons have demonized speech
Truth’s beauty is out of our reach.
Susan, absolutely on target and a great couplet that resounds!
Roy, thank you for your lovely response, and for the fun the challenge has provided. A smile is a precious gift – thank you for making us smile.
Whoever snickers at impious crass,
God spoke to you from Balaam’s ass.
Footnote to the term “ass”:
As the beast of burden that draws a cart,
Not that synonym for the hinder part.
Got it! Excellent couplet concisely hitting the target. The note was a good one of explanation, although it likely was interpreted by readers one way or the other. For me it was an entendre.
Thank you. I was just having fun with the “footnote,” as I assumed most would distinguish correctly. Thanks for the challenge.
A limerick is supposed to be funny.
How come you’re not laughing yet, honey?
Karen, I thought I had responded to this, but maybe I forgot to click on Post Comment. This is an excellent couplet and makes me wonder about relationships between lovers and spouses.
THE MORAL OF FRANKENSTEIN
The instauration of a revenant
can prove very unpleasanant.
BAUDELAIRE
You were romantic, Baudelaire,
until in time you lost your hair.
THE SAD TRUTH
No matter how clean we are, or how neat,
we always have dirt on the soles of our feet.
Your excellent contributions included a wonderful play on words in the first one and unabashed humor in all three. Thank you for sharing with us.
Epitaph for a Russian Soldier
After Rudyard Kipling
If any question why we died,
Tell them, because Putin lied.
Anthony, your biting couplet tells a perfectly grim tale concisely exposing the truth! Well done!
Life with a custard pie
Stifles the heart’s outcry.
Wonderful, Anthony! Love it!
If they tell you you must write a couplet
Please don’t leave it up to your puppet!
Great spur of the moment couplet! Thank you for sharing.
without my morning coffee
my brain is unwarmed toffee.
start the day with a sudoku
life will then make sense to you.
Sunday’s roast is best of beef:
a good head start for the next week.
Linda, how true were your excellent couplets! Thank you for sharing with us.
those are just off the cuff,
i will try to do more and post them tomorrow,
this is quite fun!
SILENCE IS GOLDEN UNLESS…
Silence is golden unless you have a two-year old.
In that case be suspicious, they’re into things untold.
WHEREFORE ART THOU ROMEO
“Wherefore art thou, Romeo?” Juliet spoke.
“I’m in the bushes, the ladder done broke.”
FACT CHECKERS
Friends said Noah’s crazy until the rain came down.
That is when we learned the first fact checkers drowned.
LADY GODIVA
Lady Godiva, have you no remorse
Riding through the village naked on a horse?
Lady Godiva with hair down past your breast.
I wish the wind would blow, so I can see the rest.
BACK FROM WHENCE THEY CAME
At my age raking leaves can become very hard.
I will let them blow back into my neighbor’s yard.
Roy, I love your take on Shakespeare!
Thank you very much, David!
‘Twas in a restaurant they first met, young Romeo and Juliet.
‘Twas there he first fell into debt, for Romi owed what Juli et.
Not really a couplet… but close enough!
Sounds like a couplet to me and a clever one at that.
Close enough for me and very clever.
I agree with jd. This is indeed one of, if not the cleverest couplets of those I have seen
It’s two perfect iambic tetrameter couplets. Excellent examples of the genre.
Thanks, JD, Roy and Richard..,Thanks!
All credit goes to my Dad who taught me the rhyme when I was a tot.
I’ve always thought of it as a quatrain:
‘Twas in a restaurant they first met,
Young Romeo and Juliet.
‘Twas there he first fell into debt,
For Romi owed what Juli et.
I took the liberty!
Be good to yourself; your ego dispel.
In no time at all, you’ve outsmarted Hell.
Excellent couplet, jd! Thank you.
About a Stupid Exercise Device
But the most idiotic rep
Belongs to what they call The Step —
A plank of laminated wood
That promises to do you good
If you just go up and down
On it, like a witless clown.
(from A Gallery of Ethopaths)
That is a great set of couplets, Joseph! I am ecstatic with your contributions.
Three Puckish Couplets
While knocking pucks into the net’s the goal,
To win Olympic gold is worth your soul.
Poor Canada fell short not onced but twiced.
And didn’t think it niced to be out-iced.
The Donald’s off-the-cuff, ice-hockey joke
Was proof beyond all doubt he isn’t woke.
They would have won the gold—a happy fate—
If Canada had been a U.S. state.
REWARD
Those who write poetry find a reward,
Is not knowing what it is like to be bored.
Wonderful and so true, Russel!
Excellent and timely, James! I particularly loved your “play of words” with “puckish.”
I hope you saw m comments a couple of comments below after Russel’s.
I can control the sun. Last night I bid
Him rise at seven-zero-two. He did.
I’ll try anything once. I’ve never passed
But I am saving BASE jumping for last.
Don’t write a book that people want to read.
Sell books that they think other people need.
Very clever couplets, Morrison! I am so glad you “controlled” the sun.” BASE jumping is not even on my to do list. What a great thought on what type of book to write!
Thanks, Roy. Love your couplets as well. You can start to worry when you get to Plan Z.
PLAN A -Z
Here is a quote for the fancy trend setters:
If Plan A does not work, there are 25 more letters.
TEXAS HEAT
The color of my grass is brown. I call it burnt sienna.
The heat dome Texas has now should be over the Sahara.
WHAT KIND OF FRIEND ARE YOU
A friend will offer you a warm hot toddy.
A good friend will help you move a dead body.
PARAPHRASED QUOTE FROM THE DEXTER TV SERIE
There are some people that I know whom I cannot forgive.
It’s not that some deserve to die, it’s some should never live.
FOUR TO FLEE
One if by land. Two if by sea.
Three to make ready and four to flee.
Here’s another from good ole Dad…
How ugly I are… my face is no shining star.
But I don’t mind it, I’m behind it, the folks out front get the jar!
A little off-meter… all in fun though…
Mike, a good one.
A gold medal performance brought the Kanooks to heel,
Rewarded with a happy meal.
If climate change is fake, and leaves you snoring,
Why is the Greenland Ice Sheet thawing?
Eat, drink, be merry, we’ll soon be dead,
with global warming on our grandchildren’s head.
I detect some tongue-in-cheek meaning in your couplets. Good ones for sure. I always wondered why Iceland was greener ice Greenland.
Hope exists in the darkest places
Ascending toward the brighter spaces
Great contribution, Vanessa, and so true!
Thank you! I think that it would look great on a t-shirt! Actually, it was inspired by my spinal surgeries.
Vanessa, I agree with you. It would look great on a t-shirt. Bless you for mentioning your spinal surgeries regarding hope.
the games they put on my phone
make my data counter moan.
bird watching is good for the brain
especially in the pouring rain.
Delightful couplets, Linda! Thank you for sharing.
From Boone—a novel in verse
1.
If we but wait and leave the tree alone,
the rotten apple falls all on it’s own.
2.
They say forgiveness is a Christian act;
I say it’s like the tree that shades the axe.
3.
Although revenge seems sweet when it is chased,
you’ll find it leaves a bitter aftertaste.
4.
If you spend time with skunks, ‘spite what you do,
you think the skunk will start to smell like you?
5.
Fer men, the Bible says revenge is God’s,
but reckon that it don’t apply to dogs.
Nicely done, Michael! There are some complex thoughts in these concise couplets.
STAPLED TO THE COUCH
A man was shot 100 times by an upholstery gun.
His wife had shot him on the couch, so that he could not run.
They pulled out all the staples in his skin they discovered.
Surgeons have said that by now he is fully recovered.
BIRTHDAY WISHES FOR AGING ADULTS
BETTER WITH AGE
Things get better with age, some say on reflection.
In your case I think you are approaching perfection.
VINYL RECORDS
While media changes and never is final,
don’t be embarrassed your music’s on vinyl.
COLLECTIBLE
You are not old; your heartbeats detectible.
You are not old, as a friend you’re collectible.
NO CURE
The older we get, of one thing I’m sure,
Old age is a thing that hasn’t a cure.
RICE KRISPIES
We become like Rice Krispies, crackle, pop, snap,
And at our age our happy hour is a nap.
GETTING BETTER
One thing to remember, in your birthday buzz,
The older I get, the better I was.
RUM
No matter how old, or what you’ve become,
there’s someone that’s older and still drinking rum.
FIRE EXTINGUISHER
When they light your candles, I hope they remember
To have in their hand’s a fire extinguisher.
I say, you are approaching perfection
And as a poet you’re becoming collectable
When all is broken, hope is banned
Life comes to take the witness stand.
Wallace, this one has such a great meaning!
A 1984 Prediction
Global warming’s out there, the doomsters say it’s true.
There’s only ten more years left for the likes of me and you.
A 2084 Afternoon
The bay outside my window, ain’t raised a dad burn inch.
It ain’t no warmer, neither, and that’s a frickin’ cinch.
Mike, fantastic marriage of two clever couplets! I am with you on the climate conspiracy.
sun is glowing in the gloaming
while i watch the sea waves foaming.
(nice trochees).
ignoring Smokey Bear’s grim warning;
ignited forests die through scorching.
(this one contains a beglet, or beginning matching syllble).
someone should make a cento , actually duocento from some of
all these posted couplets.
Linda, both of those are thoughtfully written. I am glad you called attention to their wonderful features with your notes. They are captivating and excellent.
i had a little more time,
not just a cent and a dime.
what can eleven cents buy?
not even a pie in the sky!
I love your allusion to “pie in the sky.” Thank you, Linda.
Here’s another recycled one… I understand that recycling can save the planet…
Night Terriers
I suffer from insomnia, each night I burn in Hell.
Strangely, I’m agnostic and dyslexic – I can’t spell.
I toss and turn all through the night; my head is in a fog,
Deliberating over the existence of a doG.
I catch what you did and why the double couplets. Clever indeed!
Day Tripper
I bought a pair of shoes in town last night.
My sneaky dealer said, “They’re dynamite!”
Today, I’m trippin’ everywhere I go.
What did he lace them with? I’d like to know.
Creative as the “sneaky-sneaker” dealer.
I Never See Red
I just found out I’m colorblind. I never had a clue.
The diagnosis blew my mind, it came out of the yellow.
UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE
Be careful how you squelch a belch.
You might pick up a hiccup.
Clever internal couplet rhyme, Russel.
Mike, another very clever contribution with the color transposition.
CLEVER COWBOY QUIPS
From my book, “Fables from the Funny Farm”
LONGHORNS
Longhorn bulls are great with long horns, in fact,
they make the best horns for my Cadillac.
COWBOY COFFEE
Even in a winter blizzard,
Cowboy coffee warms the gizzard.
HOW COWBOYS KNOW COFFEE IS READY
You will know when coffee’s fit,
A spoon will stand straight up in it.
BULLS AND FOOLS
Never approach a bull up front, or a horse from the rear.
Don’t approach a fool from any place. Stay clear.
FLAT TIRE
A concerned rancher’s wife said, “Jim your tractor tire looks flat.”
Jim asked if she had sat on it. No one knows where Jim is at.
NAMING A FOAL
Rancher Bob’s horse had a foal that he named for his wife.
When he told her what he’d done, he went running for his life.
HELPFUL COWBOY
Rancher Ron got drunk one night; his wife made him a mess.
He claimed he had to help the bar maid get out of her dress.
TURN OUT THE LIGHTS
Rancher Gene’s wife said to him, “Let’s go have some fun tonight.”
Gene suffered injury when he said, “First one home turns on the porch light.”
ROPED BY THE RODEO QUEEN
Rancher Dan thought he was a man full of vigor and vim.
It seems he pinched the Rodeo Queen, so she roped and branded him.
Beautiful flowers bloom then fade,
Meanwhile bees work hard, all for our gain.
Beautiful couplet, Maria.
MR. FROG AND MR. TOAD
Mr. Frog began bragging he was really royal blood.
Mr. Toad let him know who was king of the mud.
WHEN NONVIOLENCE IS BEST
When a mosquito lands on your private part, it’s thence
you learn problem solving need not involve violence.
COFFEE COUPLET
I took a swig of coffee but something was in the mug.
It could not be a raisin, so it must have been a bug.
NAMING MY RUG STAINS
I think I may just label the stains now in my rug.
“Coffee,” “Juice,” and “Tea,” and “Here I Squashed a Bug.”
PREMONITION
I have a premonition that I may die someday.
Perhaps I need a plan to put myself on layaway.
I must admit that Hooters always fascinate me.
The Hooters I am speaking of are owls up in a tree.
IMPLANTS
They say I can’t take things with me, but I think they lied.
I can spend it all on teeth implants if I really tried.
BRACING KISSES
Tender was the night, and you were my tenderizer.
It seemed we kissed forever, since our braces stuck together.
THE GAME IS AFOOT
While the detective looked at the man’s head,
“The game is afoot” is what he then said.
Wounded Weasel
All wokeness has entered its death throes.
I’m happy to watch as its breath slows.
Inspired by a quote from a recent David Hookstead article.
What a fitting title! Love the title and the couplet.
Monkey Business
Global Warming scientists would never lie.
It’s caused, they say, because some monkeys fly.
Ha, ha! The monkeys are the pseudo-scientists.
TEXANS AND THEIR TRIALS
Culled from my book, “Fables from the Funny Farm.”
By Roy E. Peterson
TEXAN CHILI
I have made fiery chili, though I am not a boaster.
I call it Texas Fire Red, Chili Belly Roaster.
BEST PLACE TO PARK IN TEXAS
Forget the upfront parkers who thought they had it made.
The best parking spot in Texas is finding any shade.
HOW HOT IS TEXAS?
How hot is it in Texas? The Devil cannot wait
To make a down payment on some Texas real estate.
The Devil told the Realtor, I’ll buy if you will sell.
Texas is much hotter than it is in hell.
SIGNS YOU ARE IN TEXAS
From my book, “Fables from the Funny Farm.”
By Roy E. Peterson
COTTON PLANT PROTECTION
When you are in Texas, looking at cotton plants,
You may see a caution sign, “Protected by fire ants.”
TEXAS WIND
When you are in Texas, a windsock may not remain.
They are ripped so often, it may be replaced by a chain.
MIDLAND, TEXAS ENTERING SIGN
A sign you will find in Midland, home of West Texas survivors,
Is “Hometown of Weekly Fatal Accidents, and of Horrible Drivers.”
STANTON, TEXAS ENTERING SIGN
The Welcome Sign for Stanton is easy to be read.
“3,000 Friendly People, and a few Old Soreheads.”
TEXAS TRESPASSNG SIGN
A sign on my friend’s property for those he’s never met:
“You’re no Longer Trespassing. Now you are a Target!”
TEXAS PROPERTY SECURITY SIGN
Texans have a secure system That we think is fun,
Let’s see how fast you can outrun a bullet from a gun.
TEXAS FANS
Liberals think we’re saving energy with windmills we provide.
But it’s so hot in Texas, we just installed big fans outside.
FORGET THE COMMA
They say that down in Texas smart cows can stay out late.
I saw a sign upon a fence, “Cows Please Close the Gate.”
SIGN TO SLOW DOWN IN TEXAS
You know you’re in Texas, and are coming to a town,
When you see a sign that says, “ALL Y’ALL SLOW DOWN.”
ALARMING SIGN
“My alarm says you’re in my house, but it won’t be for long.
I bet my gun is bigger than what you brought along.”
PASTURE SIGN
“Do not Cross this Pasture unless you can cross in nine seconds, Jack.
That’s because my bull can do it in ten seconds flat.”
PRICE INCREASE SIGN
“Do not cross our property whether cold or hot.
Due to ammo price increase, don’t expect a warning shot.”
Yeah, it’s hot alright…
If I owned Hades and Texas as well…
I’d rent out Texas and live in Hell!
Apologies to Mark Twain
Mike, gasp, are you sure?
I thought it was a Mark Twain quote… I was wrong:
https://quoteinvestigator.com/2021/07/01/texas-hell/
thailand children meditating
world peace seeking, reaching,
out of the mouths of babes
will we find solace from war’s waves.
Linda, my former student, Ms. Phakapan Salao, from Thailand, was just awarded the USA Excellence Award and received an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration from the UNITED NATIONS GLOBAL PEACE COUNCIL (UNGPC). She is founder and President of Muay Thai sporting goods. now an international organization operating out of San Diego. You can check it out online.
meditation cannot hurt
when with war the earth is girt.
perhaps in moments of serene peace
a good idea the surface will reach.
AGING ADULT THOUGHTS
By Roy E. Peterson
KEEP YOUR TEETH
“When you are old and want to spit,
Remember your teeth could fly out with it.”
GREY HAIR
“No matter that your hair is grey,
You’ll lose the rest of it soon anyway.”
PICKING TEETH
“You may make merry, or make a wreath,
But stop picking food from your teeth.”
BLUE HAIR
“I love your hair so messy and blue,
I think a bird should nest on you.”
CANE
“You get your cane and I’ll get my crutch,
Then we will sit down and have some lunch.”
WHEELCHAIR
“I’ll get my wheelchair and you get your broom.
Then we can race to get to the bathroom.”
THIGHS
“As I’m sitting here and look at your thighs,
I don’t think they make girdles to fit your size.”
NOSE
“If I hit your nose and the pain will linger.
It’s due to the fact that I broke your finger.”
SHOOTING THE BREEZE
“I know that you can emit gas with ease.
That’s not what I meant about ‘shooting the breeze.'”
BINGO
“Stop grabbing me there and not letting go!
And most of all stop yelling, Bingo!”
Please…
The near fifty years of smug climate hysteria
From self-righteous thugs has me weary and wearier…
Mike, we are on the same page. Ever since Gore!
Sourpussy
You think you’ve got the short end of the stick.
That doesn’t mean you’ve got to be a dick!
Wise words for the wounded, Mike.
COUNTRY MUSIC SCANDAL COUPLETS
By Roy E. Peterson
Country music scandals seem to climb the Country Chart.
Hank Williams sang about it in “Your Cheatin’ Heart.”
Carl Perkins and Elvis sang about shoes that were blue-sueded.
Then David Houston came along and sang, “Almost Persuaded.”
Earnest Tubb was “Walking the Floor over You.”
I hope he did not bury someone down there too.
Jim Reeves once sang the song that “He’ll Have to Go.”
Marty Robbins had a Mexican girl in the town “El Paso.”
Women tried to blame men like singer Kitty Wells.
“It wasn’t God Who Made Honkey-tonk Angels.”
When Bill Anderson sang, “Still,” what kind of still was that?
Johnny Cash stole all the parts to build his Cadillac.
Johnny Cash spent time in jail and he paid his dues.
Then he wrote the song, “The Folsom Prison Blues.”
If you want to get rich with more money than you can handle,
I suggest you write a song about a country scandal.
CLOSING CLEVER COUPLETS
By Roy E. Peterson
MAGIC MEMORIES
Magic memories are made by poetry,
Since classic rhymes flirt with history.
MY STANCE ON GUNS
I was asked my stance on control of guns.
I said it depends on which way he runs.
MY TRUE PARTY STORY
At a grad friend’s party, we said the dip was good.
Then just before we left, he said it was dog food.
Unbeknownst to him, he became my muse
An Adonis in the flesh, a spark that lit my fuse
Venessa, wonderful couplet! Great share. I love the idea and the phrasing with “Adonis.”
In the one that you admire
Reflects virtues you desire.
You are a rose amid thistle and thorn,
Amid thistle and thorn a rose forlorn.
Briley, these are beautiful couplets! Thank you!
We fixed Argentina, we’re fixing Iran.
I think it’s past time to fix us if we can…
violence only begets violence,
especially when born of ignorance,
often the only recourse for indigents,
and results in all loss of innocence.
I accept your double couplet as a well-stated quatrain with sincere meaning.
I completely agree with you, and include Venezuela.
Silence.
Stand still in the violets – give silence her due,
If we always deny her, we lose her fine tune.
Life.
Puzzles and prattles compose this mad game,
But we would do well to abide it the same.
Smoke and barrel.
Come watch little ringlets rise up to the sky,
We learn well from the pipe…but forget in the rye.
Nicely done, Frank. I particularly like the “Smoke and Barrel” one which I take as an entendre at the end (but forget in the rye.)
This from a coffee shop long ago;
“As you wander on through life, brother whatever be your goal,
Keep your eye upon the donut, and not upon the hole.”
If love was easy, as the bards proclaim,
I would not sing a mournful heart’s refrain
Great ones, Rob.
if there’s irish cream in your coffee
you need not feel so awful,
just add some , and stir awhile
no need to bore, just turn and smile.
This from a coffee shop long ago;
If love was easy, as the bards proclaim,
I would not sing a mournful heart’s refrain
I just commented on it above.
This from a coffee shop long ago;
This, from an old coffee shop:
“As you wander on through life, brother, whatever be your goal,
Keep your eye upon the donut, and not upon the hole”
A lot of these couplets make more or less sense, but they’re often a form of mental pollution. You’re trying to work up a sonnet to follow –
In elder days in Norway, Odin’s tree
sustained the world of hope-beyond-despair…
– and you get –
[some item from the news that we heard] be-boop
and so we feed on putrid bowls of rancid poodle soup.
– or totally random ones on the same theme –
Hot bowls of rancid soup, my dear, it is the fate of man
to feed upon that kind of thing as often as he can.
– and there are also ones that recur regularly as alternatives to such phrases as “kick the Cat” –
Oh to be a toasted kitten, fried up in a pan with spam,
there is nothing like a skillet to show Cats just what they am.
Very clever, fred. Sorry to be late to see them.
If you have any words to write, then write those words – if not …………..
Morrison, I hope you saw my comments on yours under your submission a month ago. It should have been attached to yours, but it is directly under them in any even.
Thanks, Roy. Yes, I greatly appreciate your comments. This has been a fun challenge and it’s been great to read others’ submission.
Regardez Caliban creuser son trou
Et déterrer sa beauté de la boue.
I posted this back in February on Twitter, underneath a photo of some trash fly-tipped in the street about a ten minute walk from my home in Bristol in the UK. https://x.com/RichardC97070/status/2028084375796003248/photo/1
Fascinating one, Richard. Thank you for the help in your note.