Author photo by artist, Walter Bakowski

Saturday, January 9, 2010

The word "if" is a seesaw waiting for you to approach it

(for Marty Grothe)


If pigs could fly

there’d be

less bacon.


If you were a bully at school,

don’t be one now.


If you keep having flings,

one day you’ll be flung.


If you’re digging your own grave,

consider what you’re using

as the shovel.


If God exists

we must appal him sometimes.


If time is money

some of us

will end up short-changed.


If you think you know everything,

try writing poems.

3 comments:

  1. I was going to say "How aphoristic!" but I see you have that in your labels. A delightful piece, especially the last stanza. It has sometimes taken me years to get what was in my head out and into a poem and sometimes when I look at it I think: Was that it? Was that all I had to say? I thought there might be more.

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  2. Dear Jim,
    Thanks for your kind words about my "if" poem. My 2010 "if" poem was inspired by buying and reading "ifferisms", an anthology of aphorisms that begin with the word "if", collected and commented upon by Dr Mardy Grothe. I'm going to check out another book/collection of his, titled, "I Never Metaphor I Didn't Like".
    In regards to how much to say in a poem, Charles Bukowski said in regards to writing a poem - "Get in, get out, don't linger". A comment I've found useful/a compass.
    Every good wish,
    Peter

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  3. I have an 'if' from my childhood - If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.
    It always seemed so clever to me, and still does. One can get caught up with things that may one day occur, and miss out on what's happening right here, right now.

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