Tuesday Poem - a dog s life

Years ago, when the Word Tree, under Marian Spires, used to run thematic readings, I was asked to feature on the subject 'insects'. I actually misheard Marian and thought she'd said 'incest' - a subject which I thought would easily provide (bleak) inspiration. I was already thinking of Greek mythology when she repeated the theme: insects. Okay, then. Back to the drawing board. At some stage in the intervening month I remembered that glorious insect poet hero - don marquis's archy - and decided I'd bring him out of retirement. I had enormous fun writing these and remain grateful that the topic wasn't incest, which could have resulted in a miserable writing month!

you can call me archy

poet blogger email correspondent

and unfortunately cockroach in this incarnation

like my ancestor the vers libre bard

and so am i boss so am i

one day you will find my file

and think archy now what can that be

and my words will scroll onto your screen

just the creative struggles of your common

cockroach on his way to a higher transmirgration

if you read this leave more food out

a poet needs more than blu stick to keep

ectoskeleton and soul together i should take up

rap like that rat in your compost but vers libre bard

i was and that i will remain you can call me

archy again

catherine bateson - with thanks to don marquis

Do you remember archy? When you've found your copy of archy and mehitabel (what edition do you have?), take a stroll over to the Tuesday Poetry Hub where Jennifer Compton, this week's editor, has posted 'Southbank', a poem by Petra White.

Tuesday Poem - 'a dog's life here'

i can see it s a dog s life here

they come in and make themselves

comfortable eat til their bellies

are bongos get their drumskin scratched

and all for a chocolate look of their eyes

i have nice eyes why only last nite a lady

cornered me near that open packet of noodles

and thanks for that but next time

can you open that little packet of spices too

noodles without the orient msg are pretty bland

fare for the likes of a cosmopolitan cockroach

used to dining with the crème de la crème

as mehitabel would say if she wasn t off

transmigrating to another body a soul like that

might move on to anything but where was i

oh yes that lady approached me and suggested

that my eyes were like little spilt drops of gravy

and she offered to rub my segments but boss

i have to stay pure for poetry oh how i suffer

and what do i get for it that s what i want to kno

With apologies to Don Marquis! Ages ago I was asked to read at The Word Tree when Marian Spires was the able cultivator of poetry at that venue. At that time she would set a theme for the reading, which was given to the featured reader as well. My theme was 'insects'. I puzzled over this for a long time. But then I remembered loving Don Marquis and the Archy and Mehitabel poems when I was younger. I decided to bring Archy, that irascible roach, into the twenty-first century. 

I had enormous fun writing a small sequence of these poems - but I do recommend you read the originals. They are delightful!

Scuttle on over to the Tuesday Poem Blog hub and read other poems from there.  Melbourne-based poet, Jen Compton, is this week's editor and has posted a wonderful prose poem by Ross Donlon.