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Poem of the Day

Edgy DC Jun 11 2007 11:08 AM

I decided we weren't elitist enough. June 11 by David Lehman It's my birthday I've got an empty stomach and the desire to be lazy in the hammock and maybe go for a cool swim on a hot day with the trombone in Sinatra's "I've Got You Under My Skin" in my head and then to break for lunch a corned-beef sandwich and Pepsi with plenty of ice cubes unlike France where they put one measly ice cube in your expensive Coke and when you ask for more they argue with you they say this way you get more Coke for the money showing they completely misunderstand the nature of American soft drinks which are an excuse for ice cubes still I wouldn't mind being there for a couple of days Philip Larkin's attitude toward China comes to mind when asked if he'd like to go there he said yes if he could return the same day

cooby Jun 12 2007 12:55 PM

My personal favorite: It Couldn't Be Done Edgar Guest Somebody said that it couldn't be done, But he with a chuckle replied That "maybe it couldn't," but he would be one Who wouldn't say so till he'd tried. So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin On his face. If he worried he hid it. He started to sing as he tackled the thing That couldn't be done, and he did it. Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that; At least no one ever has done it"; But he took off his coat and he took off his hat, And the first thing we knew he'd begun it. With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin, Without any doubting or quiddit, He started to sing as he tackled the thing That couldn't be done, and he did it. There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done, There are thousands to prophesy failure; There are thousands to point out to you, one by one, The dangers that wait to assail you. But just buckle in with a bit of a grin, Just take off your coat and go to it; Just start to sing as you tackle the thing That "cannot be done," and you'll do it.

Edgy DC Jun 12 2007 01:23 PM

Cooby gets the drop on me.

cooby Jun 12 2007 01:25 PM

oops, sorry. I thought maybe we were all taking turns

Edgy DC Jun 12 2007 01:29 PM

Sure. How many hours you think he worked on his rhyme before he settled on "failure" and "assail you"? It's not without precedent. Sting rhymed "failure" with "jail you."

cooby Jun 12 2007 01:42 PM

I'm thinking he wrote with a southern accent... Failyuh/assail ya Kinda makes me like it less though

Edgy DC Jun 12 2007 01:53 PM

Stingk did it Jamaican. Ah so-called leaders speak With words they try to jail yah They subjoogate the meek But it's the rhetoric of failyah

cooby Jun 12 2007 01:55 PM

Sting and Edgar Guest: Cheaters of the English Language

Frayed Knot Jun 12 2007 02:53 PM

Or you can go the Leonard Cohen route of rhyming 'Hallelujah' with 'do ya?' I always figured that the advertising world must celebrate the birthday of whoever it was who first discovered that 'delicious' and 'nutritious' rhyme. Take away that and you've lost half your gigs.

Edgy DC Jun 12 2007 03:22 PM

Lesley Bricusse and Anthony Newly, I think.

iramets Jun 13 2007 09:27 AM

Lehman read his poems at my university a few years ago. He's written two books of "daily" poems, such as the June 11 poem above, and he took requests from the audience. People were calling out "May 4th" and "October 12" and he read from the poem he'd written on that date. As it happens, "June 11th" is his birthday and my mom's and Frank Thomas's, all of which I knew at his reading. He didn't know about Frank Thomas.

Edgy DC Jun 13 2007 10:00 AM

With that, I enthusiastically turn selection of the 6/13 PotD over to you.