O tell us more about your dad,
or why your second wife went mad,
or how it was you had no choice
but to give those men a voice;
sing that Cornish lullaby
you hush your kids with when they cry,
produce a boiled egg from your pocket,
a flageolet from your jacket,
expand on your idea that rhyme
is dead, or tell us of the time
you dropped your cellphone in the toilet;
a joke, a bird-call - please don't spoil it,
go on with your brilliant proem!
Anything but read your poem.
Copyright © 2015 by Don Paterson, 40 Sonnets, Faber & Faber
Requests
Don Paterson