HOW TO WRITE VERSE

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BY FRED REMUS

You gently stroke your typer keys
And think and think. A sigh, a wheese
Is al that comes; you rack your brain
and keep on thinking, though a pain
Is biting at your neck and eyes.
Where is that thought that often lies
Just where it can't be gotten at
Or, if it can, will turn so flat.
But then the light begins to dawn,
You stroke the keys and carry on;
The words pour forth in endless stream
Your eyes are blank as in a dream
As paper leaves the typer roll,
You rise and start, and take a stroll.

Returning, you confront, ah yes,
An awfully sad mismetered mess.
With pen in hand you cut and try
To make it work. You heave a sigh,
It isn't bad, but not much good,
It might be better if it stood
Around to ripen, like, a while;
By then it might not seem so vile.

It's not too hard, believe you me,
To write a verse, or two or three,
But when the number's over ten,
You really need the slashing pen
To cut, repair, to patch and mend
To break a word if it won't bend
Into the place where it should fit
And keep in constant play the wit
With which you have been well endowed.

Although it does not make you proud
To see some of the things you've done
That at the time you thought such fun,
Still, others that you thought were sad
Turn out to be, well -- not so bad.

Now as to subject matter, I
Can never fail to heave a sigh
And turn my head, avert my eyes,
>From those who cry out to the skies
That all their verse would shine like light
But that their subject is not right
Or nonexistent. All I say
Is, guys like that should hit the hay.
Or better yet, go take a trip,
Their presence I would gladly skip.
I have found that space nor time
Will tie the man who writes in rhyme.
If he will watch his meter well
His words have power, cast a spell,
For we are jungle beasts, our feet,
Still dance and leap the jungle beat.

And that is simple, short and long
Is just the burden of the song.

So pen or pencil, typer keys,
Choose any one or more of these,
And let your mind roam far and wide,
Just watch yourself, you'll look with pride
Upon the work that you have done,
Not only that, it's lots of fun
To dream and think, to sit and write,
So why not try it, say, tonight?


Text versions and page scans Judy Bemis

Data entry by Judy Bemis

Updated June 18, 2015. If you have a comment about these web pages please send a note to the Fanac Webmaster. Thank you.