Rallentanda

Rallentanda

Monday, February 8, 2010

Magritte. Ceci n'est pas une pipe.

RWP Poem #113
Prompt...out of the comfort zone and into a different style.

I like your humour
Mr Magritte
a bit off colour
that's why it's a hit

Very subtle of course
understood by a few
before the internet
gave up all the clues


If language could be taught
by those of your sort
then every Australian would be trilingual
well at least bilingual in a jerry jingle
with cunning little linguists frolicking abound
umlauting and squawking in high foreign sounds

The youth in other languages
will order their shouts and
learn there is more to a root
than conjugational stout
an ale for an ailing lexicon -ouch!

With luck it will leap frog to the North Shore
to dormitory suburbs crowded with bores
where 'death in the family ' clipboards hang fast
to every letterbox so clean and so smart
Anglican fortress private school shired
Though darkness deepens Lord with me abide.

30 comments:

  1. Hi Rall,

    Colourful and humorous! I thought OZ was trilingual at least? Greeks, Italians, Asians!

    I shall be AWOL for a bit. See you around!

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  2. Thanks Derrick.Have a good holiday in the sun!

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  3. Aussie vernacular

    A 'shout' is a round of drinks bought at a bar.

    A 'root' is what they call a 'bonk'in the UK

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  4. Tri-linguality has its place, and I really like to hear multiplicities spoken at once. There is a music there, sort of like a fugue. Magritte might agree..I think he'd like your poem...

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  5. Tri-linguality, I can only dream of it.. I'd like to hear the sound of multiple languages, all at once..sort of a fugue...
    Magritte has an apple for you..we like the poem!

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  6. Thankyou both.I know he could have made a good painting from those red sparkly shoes of yours
    Lyn. They must keep you awake at night!

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  7. clever little rhymer
    good fun.

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  8. I like the humor in this. Sort of gentle...

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  9. with cunning little linguists frolicking abound
    umlauting and squawking in high foreign sounds


    I don't know what I'm laughing harder in response to: "cunning little linguists" or the "umlauting and squawking."

    Very clever poem rallentanda. I love the ay it mirrors Magritte.

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  10. Thankyou Paul. I knew you would get the linguistic jokes!

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  11. Very tongue-in-cheek, and quite delightful... ;-)

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  12. I knew that was no accident. I knew you chose those clever words to cause a snork. Hidden like spring's bunny eggs for the lucky seeker. Having peeled all the fun that I can for now, I'll be back to see what else lies wrapped.

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  13. Glad clever Lady Tumblewordness understood the snork.Please return to find more bunny eggs.
    I'll mark them in blue!

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  14. So now do we know where the Looking Glass Land really is?!!
    A good delight!

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  15. Alice doesn't live here any more but she left
    a few clues.I'll let you know barelyvisible!

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  16. I like the idea of the internet giving up all the clues being shown as something that takes away from the excitement of discovering something on one's own. That 4th stanza is wonderful, lots of play with the language.

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  17. Love your third stanza - love the cleverness of it all. Rhymes, slant-rhymes all cunningly linguistic, umlauting and squawking. This was fun!

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  18. Glad you enjoyed all the cryptic squawking Wanda!

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  19. another good one Rall....don't know about shouts..however I will have a "shot" of brandy for you and your writing tonite...while I watch some Winter Olympics

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  20. Thanks Guatami, James and Wayne.Watched the opening ceremony last night Wayne. You must be very excited.Make mine with soda!

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  21. Yes, the words and mischief are a delight and I especially enjoyed the Anglican fortress welfare in the deepening darkness darkness, courtesy of an abiding Lord. Thank you for this.

    Allan Cox

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  22. 'Abide with me fast falls the even tide
    Though darkness deepens Lord with me abide'

    It has been a while since I have sung this Anglican hymn
    Just as well...because the occasion arises only at funerals.
    Thanks for your comment Alan.

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  23. "This is not a pipe" Oh, yes it isn't! Oh, no it is!
    Who says there are no famous Belgians!

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  24. Footsie...Quel Surprise,and on Valentines Day!
    There is a famous racing driver called Jacky Ickx who is Belgian...thought you might need to know that for the next time you attend a meeting of Ferrari afficionados.
    Cheers

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  25. Very clever and I love the title!

    Good one!

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  26. And the famous detective Hercule Poirot makes three! Jacky Icxx is included in THIS LIST of 263 famous Belgians, some of them deservedly so.

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  27. definite youthfulness... rising up into that climactic final stanza. Lovely.

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  28. Thanks Pam and Julie.Youthfulness is flattering.

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