A Poem Inspired By Wendy Cope

 I recently purchased a copy of Wendy Cope's anthology, 'Two Cures For Love-Selected Poems 1979-2006.

Wendy Cope is an English Poet who delights in quirky, observational poetry appealing to the reader's emotional self. A witty, contemporary poet, she cleverly mixes humour and serious thought provoking  moments in her wide ranging works. Wendy Cope also likes to experiment and play with form. I like that very much...

I found myself most beguiled by the poet's treatment of nursery rhymes. In two of the poems she re-imagines these classic rhymes under the influence of master poets like William Wordsworth and T S Eliot. 

This sparked an idea and I began to imagine an encounter between John Keats and the legendary nursery characters, Jack and Jill.

Here is the resultant poem:

John Keats Encounters Jack and Jill

Twas the season of mists

When two ascended the hill

To fetcheth water in a pail

One Jack

One Jill

Jack did tumble

Breaking his crown

Resulting in a burning forehead

And a tongue parched

Jill tumbled too

Spilling water extravagantly

And so the hill was emptied of this tumbling duo

And there was not a soul to tell

They were desolate

Their heads and hearts

Duly sorrowful.

Alan j Wright 

It is once more Poetry Friday and our host this  week is Tricia from The Miss Rumphius Efffect. Tricia's post is quite nostalgic. It presents a poem about the music of typewriters written by Australian poet, David Malouf.