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Home Covid-19

‘The Good of You’ by Damian Robin

February 3, 2021
in Covid-19, Culture, Human Rights in China, Poetry
A A
8
poems 'The Good of You' by Damian Robin

.

How good of you to do your best
__for our great population.
So we’ll do right by your request
__to heal our ailing nation.

If we feel sick we’ll stay indoors,
__won’t shout—just put a sock in.
With metal plates you’ll screw our doors
__to help our healthy lock-in

While you seek data, make it count,
__do marvels with big numbers
And always catch the right amount—
__exactly—they’re not blunders.

Our admiration fills our lungs
As fast as you lock down our tongues.

.

.

.

Damian Robin is a writer and editor living in the United Kingdom.

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Comments 8

  1. James Sale says:
    6 years ago

    Very skilful writing, Damian, by rhyming the first and third line as well as the usual second and fourth in a ballad; nice, too, the couplet conclusion that gives the form a sonnet feel, though using tetrameters and trimeters. It made me laugh as well, so thanks!

    Reply
    • Damian Robin says:
      6 years ago

      Thanks James. Good to get a nice tech gloss from an accomplished and knowledgable critic.

      Reply
    • Damian Robin says:
      6 years ago

      Glad you found it funny. Satire comes naturally to me though it’s often uncomfortable as the reader has to know the twisted view of the writer to get it.
      i.e. it’s not straight forward, not ‘honest’.

      Reply
    • Damian Robin says:
      6 years ago

      There are a lot of deviant sonnet forms now-a-days. They keep to the 14 lines as the crux. Though, as you know, the little song in verse has had many forms, some quite long, before becoming standardised and limited to the Italian and English versions most given the name ‘sonnet’ now.

      The ghost of a sonnet here is intentional.

      Reply
  2. Ben Grinberg says:
    6 years ago

    WYes skillful.

    Reply
  3. Damian Robin says:
    6 years ago

    Thanks, Ben.

    Reply
  4. Susan Jarvis Bryant says:
    6 years ago

    Damian, it’s great to see you’re still fighting the good fight with well crafted poetry and a zest for justice. You are always an inspiration! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Damian Robin says:
      6 years ago

      Thanks for your kind words, Susan. And keep up your varied, skillful, forthright, and engaging pieces.

      Reply

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