Beware of ladders
I saw a fellow trip on a piece of rope
and bang his head on a ladder the painter had
against the wall. The painter had to grope
to save himself from falling down - too bad!
With mighty splash, upon the crowd below,
the paint that stood on top began to spill
and splatter everyone from head to toe.
No way could they avoid it as they will.
Instead they slipped and fell upon each other
while cursing him who'd caused the paint to fall.
The more they tried to rise, to mess got rougher
until the only way to move was crawl.
The painter, hanging from the top, yelled out
“look out below or else you'll cop the lot!”
as brush and paint-tins landed with a clout
and people slipped and struggled hard to squat.
I know I shouldn’t laugh at such bad luck
but couldn’t help myself, I must admit.
Oh! What a sight to see them all get stuck!
The man who caused it didn't care a whit!
He ran away as fast as he could trot.
The cop he came up to see what he could do
and helped the painter down, as he could not
descend among that angry, painted crew.
Remember: leaning ladders don't go near
or rotten luck will follow you - that’s clear!
Jenelda White June 2007
Author notes
I chose option number 3
In a list
A contest entry
- FOR HUGH WYLES FAVOURITES GROUP ONLY # 13 by huguenauties.
750 points, ended June 13, 2007, 9 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 8 of 8
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waoooo. this is great, i better becareful of ladder.greta work indeed.
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A sound reminder not to walk under ladders!!! Very good write, flowed and rhymed with great imagery. Good luck in the competition.
Hugs and love,
Petratani
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That is a comedic scene, and I could imagine it clearly from your description. It's ironic that the cause of the mayhem slipped away. After my experience of falling paint, I steer clear of ladders. Good story and well written! Best of luck!
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HA HA Jen, I had a good chuckle over your poem. It probably wasn't good for the people caught up in it and what a mess the paint would've been over them.
A beaut poem Jen.
Hine.
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A truly unfortunate event!
Enjoyed your funny poem!
I don't know why others bad luck's so gosh darn funny
but it seems to be a basic part of our humanity!
(A scaffold fell on my friend as he walked down the street. He spent some time in the hospital with a fractured back and a torn ligament in his knee but when the tons of insurance money starts pouring in, would you say that he was "lucky"? (food for thought)
♥ Maureen
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Dear Jen, This is hilarious and has given me quite a giggle. I can just picture in my head the events that occured. A great write my dear Niece.
Love A/J
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Full of colourful imagery (was the paint red, blue, white or black? Wisely left to the reader's imagination) and fun at the crowd's expense while the author stands well back to observe and note.
This poem ranks well alongside pie-in-the-face and slipped-on-a-banana-skin slapstick and is refreshingly enjoyable to those of us who possess a harmlessly sadistic nature.
Q: Is there an easy way to remove paint from clothing and hair? I realise it can't be re-used.
A great larf. Good luck in the voting.
Applause, love and hugs (whoever you are!!)
XXX Hugh (R.)
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Technically adept, this used enjambment to advantage.
Why do we laugh at banana-peel jokes? Beats me, but this poem had me going as the list of damages grew.
Irresistably visual, active, and unlikely, the hyperbole (to give exaggeration its poetic name) will have me reading this one again! Exactly what I needed today. Thank you.
Good luck in the competition.
Terry
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