Poetry: Words That Rhyme

The Missus is a published, paid poet. She is respected among her poet peers.

I, however, never understand her poetry. Her use of language is fluid, sensuous and specific, but her work is like foreign films in that when they’re over I usually scratch my head and go, “Say, that was lovely, whatever that was.”

Where I come from, poems rhyme. For instance, here’s an example I wrote in my twenties:

Mr C and Sharon P were lovers when I met them
As much as I treasure our times spent together
Yet do live to regret them

See? That shit rhymes all over the place. That’s poetry, man.

Apparently, The Missus has come around to my way of thinking. The following is a poem she contributed to some chicks-only blog endeavor, regarding The Man Cub’s newfound neediness. (Let me tell you, said neediness is no walk in the park. When only Mommy will do, I feel like Mengele, pointing to my son and saying, “You. You will scream blue murder for two more hours until your mother returns!”)

Anyhow, it prompted her to bang out the following, which I’m proud to point out rhymes like a proper poem and everything. Kudos to the poet in the family!

She writes (to her intelllectual peers, by way of apology for what follows):
Note the first stanza is in AWAW (antiwhine, whine, antiwhine, whine) form (and that "teething" is intentionally falling out of iambic pentameter--I was especially proud of that). Please pardon, however, the AABB rhyme scheme. It's sooo jejeune.

My infant son was once a happy lad,
but now teething has come and made him sad.
He's learned to stand and crawl into our laps
But lo! he struggles with his morning naps.

He cries and rages all the livelong morn
And curses all the world for being born
into this wretched home where doghair flies
all through the air and settles in his eyes.

I have a stack of finals yet to grade
But not a whit of progress has been made,
for I must put the infant's interests first
lest tears and cries roll out like thunderbursts.

But what is this? His eyes take on a glow. . .
'Tis snacktime now; all hail the Cheerio!