My tonsils and my nose are red,
My eyes are sore, my lips are white,
Imps ply jackhammers in my head,
I cannot celebrate tonight!
Though we planned to carouse all night
And paint the town a subtle red,
Hot lemon and some tablets white
Are now the one thought in my head!
The dizziness that turns my head
Is product of no gaudy night,
And in the paper I have read
(Set down in sober black on white!)
"From Shetland to the Isle of Wight
The hospitals are full! Ahead
Looms crisis!" Hence for me tonight
(While you drink wines both white and red)-
A book unread, sheets crisp and white,
Pills for my head - and so, goodnight!
Author notes
In case anyone is interested in the form, it is a quattrina - which works the same way as a sestina, but with four key-words instead of six!
A contest entry
- SWINE FLU EPIDEMIC! - BIG POINTS - LIGHT VERSE by CelticQueen.
1500 points, ended November 3, 10 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
PLEASE DO NOT FEEL OBLIGED TO COMMENT - but if you do comment, please understand that it may be some time before I can respond
Comments
1 - 7 of 7
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This flu is worrisome, isn't it? I am concerned about the children since they are being hit so hard with it. They're too young to have been exposed to either the Asian flu or Hong Kong flu of years back. I do hope you're feeling better now. Thanks for entering. cq
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i rarely read rhyme/form poetry as I feel it is not fulfilled to its potential on this website. but you seem to do it justice
oh goodness swine flu
my fiance and I had it this year though we are fine now. Iam just grateful that it didnt affect me too badly.
well done for coping
lemon and ginger - such magic
Emma
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In a way, I don't care if it's a Quattrina or a Ford Cortina - it's a cracking wee poem.
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I agree with you. Poems should be read for content not form. However, I have have experienced people critiquing quattrinas, sestinas and ballades, saying that somethiing seems to be missing from the final stanza. Indeed, I should not be surprised if one day I see the same comment about a Shakespearean or Spenserian sonnet!
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Many sonnets do fall at the last hurdle. I think that is because most people who write them are concentrating too much on the form, which is only a vehicle for the poetry after all. It is all too easy to fall into the trap of bathos in a final couplet (if I didn't know that before I started as an associate editor with Sonnetto Poesia I certainly do now!). I look back at some of my own sonnets, written when I used to say that the obsession with them was so strong that I dreamed in iambic pentameter, and I wouldn't give you tuppence for them now!
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Well I like the form ...
and your poem's contents make me queasy ... to think of that catastophe and how many are suffering is not a pleasant thought! and to think that it has only just begun to get off the ground is scary. I do hope that this is not a personal poem as I would hate to think that you need another health problem to deal with.
Just popped in to see what you are up to as well.
Good sharing, joy
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Well, I had swine flu back in July... Not pleasant... but I have known worse! Basically one just needs to stay in bed and sweat it out (literally)_. I kept my radio tuned to BBC 3 - and listened to music!
But I think that at least some of the fuss the UK government has made about it was intended to catch the headlines, and so push the "MP's expenses" scandal off the front page. And, mutatis mutandis, the Italian government likewise...
Incidentally, I have just heard that there is a NEW killer flu in Ukraine... it turns to pneumonia and kills after four days... 35 deaths so far... The doctors are researching it, but are fairly sure that it is not swine flu. A decisision about what it IS should be reached - they say - on Monday or Tuesday...
Late: (Update)
... the Ukrainian doctors have more or less abmitted it is swine flu... has suddenly they are not prepared to cope... over 40 deaths in a few days, tens of thousands sick, a frantic run on the pharmacies... schools and universities closed - electioneering halted (the Presidentials are due in January and the campaign - limited to 90 days - had just started)... people told to wear facemasks in at public places (which makes for problems at checking through airport security...),,,and prime Minister Tymoshenko (the lady with the "corn-dolly£ hairdo!) keeps saying "No need to panic!" - which is making people panic worse than ever.
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