“Today we challenge you to write a poem of over-the-top compliments. Pick a person, place, or thing you love, and praise it in the most effusive way you can. Go for broke with metaphors, similes, and more. Need a little inspiration? Perhaps you’ll find it in the lyrics of Cole Porter’s “You’re The Top.” (Scroll down at the link for the lyrics and an annotated explanation of them).”

I started the poem with going ‘over the top,’ and then somehow it took a detour by itself. I have no idea how it happened. Let me know what you think 🙂

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You’re the corn! I’m the chaff

 

I hope you’re listening

I’m not joking

I’m not being ludicrous

Look, I’m serious

You look amused

Even a little confused

I just want to tell you

What I think of you

 

You are the shore

You are the lighthouse

You are the North Star

Darling, you are the anchor

I’m the ship. You are the sailor

I’m the sea

You are the key

That sets me free

 

Darling, don’t laugh

You’re the corn! I’m the chaff.

 

You are the Great Barrier Reef

I dive to see

You are Mount Everest

I scale to reach

You are the Man of Kipling’s ‘If’

You are the love in Shakespeare’s Sonnet, one one six

I’m Lizzy. You are Darcy. I’m Jane. You’re Rochester

You’re the fire;  I desire

 

Darling, don’t laugh

You’re the corn! I’m the chaff.

 

Baby, I love you too

I’m not so good with words, as you

So, promise me

If I err, you’ll forgive me

I’ll give it a try

Without you, I’d rather die

You’re the air

Don’t stare

 

You make me nervous, I’m getting there

I’m the lung

Why do you look like you’ve been stung?

You’re the blood that runs in my veins

When it bleeds, my shirt it stains

You’re an absolute delight

Except when you fight

I love you. You know I’m right

 

I’m not done yet

You’re the chaff. I’m the corn! You bet

 

You’re a man of few words, let it be so

Poetry is not your thing, you and I both know

Now you must agree

To disagree

Take back what you just said

Or darling, you’re so dead!

Dead, dead

Darling, come now to bed

 

I’ll have the last laugh

I’m the corn. You’re the chaff!

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Our poetry resource for the day is this PDF of Aram Saroyan’s Electric Poems, first published in 1972. Saroyan is known for his minimalist poetry. Often, his poems consist of re-mixed/chopped versions of a single word. In fact, one of his most famous one-word poems engendered some controversy in the U.S. Congress!

P.C. From the Net