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Friday, April 11, 2014

Ruthless Rhyme

Ruthless Rhyme
Ruthless rhymes were created by Harry Graham. If you haven't met them before, and enjoy things that are deplorably funny but not in the best possible taste, do please seek out his work. (My favourite is the one about little Leonie.) It's not that easy to write a poem about death that's funny without being offensive. How about this one:
Out in the Wash

When spouse and clothes got in a tangle
They went together through the mangle.
The faithless rat I did not grieve -
Still flatter, but can't now deceive.
Ruthless rhymes are always written in rhyming couplets - usually two of them, but occasionally more.


Thanks to Bob Newman for his wonderful Volecentral resource site.

The link below will lead you to a fine selection of poems by
By Jocelyn Henry Clive 'Harry' Graham who just became on of my favorite poets. 


Here are a couple of examples of his work.
Necessity

LATE last night I slew my wife,
Stretched her on the parquet flooring;
I was loath to take her life,
But I had to stop her snoring.

The Perils of Obesity

YESTERDAY my gun exploded
When I thought it wasn't loaded;
Near my wife I pressed the trigger,
Chipped a fragment off her figure;
'Course I'm sorry, and all that,
But she shouldn't be so fat.

My example poem

Laundry Mix     ( Example of Ruthless Rhyme)

Into the wash I threw the cat
and Mom said I ought not do that.
But still a load of underwear
feels nice when coated with cat hair.


© Lawrencealot - April 11, 2024

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