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dali's sad nightmare

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The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse Morphed metal beams into steel scraps Oh say what a fright The dawn's early light Ends the anthem-man's span with taps

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Suzanne Delaney

Date: 4/12/2024 4:23:00 PM

Amazing Duke, you capture so much in so few words and the image is perfect. Did you create that with AI?. Just wondering. SuZ

Duke Beaufort
Date: 4/28/2024 2:36:00 PM

Suzanne, my daughter has a subscription to chat GPT and she submits my work for me and sends me the picture that comes back. It is rather remarkable how it brings graphics to the masses.

Suzanne Delaney
Date: 4/13/2024 6:01:00 AM

I will check out some more. Fascinating. Which program? Night cafe? SuZ

Duke Beaufort
Date: 4/13/2024 4:24:00 AM

Hi Suzanne, thanks for the comment...this one turned out really well. I am using AI to make the images after writing each limerick. The graphics world is changing very quickly.

David Fisher

Date: 4/5/2024 4:57:00 PM

I admire this poem, Duke and your great ability to write about current events with limericks packed with subtle and fitting lines. Good one, indeed!

Duke Beaufort
Date: 4/11/2024 9:07:00 AM

Thanks David. It means a lot to me. I think you do some wonderful things with poetry and will check out your latest. My family and I went to Canada to see the total eclipse. So, I have been a bit occupied. Glad to be back.

Sotto Poet

Date: 3/30/2024 7:22:00 PM

Dear Duke, this limerick depicts the falling of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, a tragic event that turns the once sturdy metal beams into twisted and destroyed steel scraps. You employ powerful and succinct language to capture the abrupt and devastating essence of the bridge collapse. The selection of terms like "Morphed," "steel scraps," "fright," and "taps" creates a feeling of disorder and despair. The inclusion of the national anthem reference adds a layer of depth and symbolism to the poem.

Duke Beaufort
Date: 4/1/2024 4:05:00 AM

SP, you are very kind. We're fortunate this sort of thing doesn't happen very often here. Travel is relatively safe most of the time. This particular poem turned out well. Not all of them do due to the limitations of the form. You are very observant.

Brian Sambourne

Date: 3/29/2024 10:50:00 AM

You've captured the tragedy of the bridge collapse with a sparse but piercing image of taps played. A memorable poem in five sharp lines. Congratulations! Brian

Duke Beaufort
Date: 3/29/2024 11:28:00 AM

Thanks Brian. I had mixed feelings creating this. It's ironic that the bridge was named by the composer of our national anthem, the anthem was about warfare and survival of our flag, and that the exact opposite occurred with this bridge. It was a terrible occurrence indeed.

Jim Dunlap

Date: 3/28/2024 11:03:00 PM

Best poet I,ve encountered on Poetry Soup.

Duke Beaufort
Date: 3/29/2024 6:24:00 AM

Jim, I am completely humbled by this comment. I try to keep the ideas short and simple since we are in a world that rushes by. However, there are some wonderful poets here who I think do a much better job than I do.

Ink Empress

Date: 3/27/2024 3:12:00 PM

Dear duke, i think this is the first poem iv read about the tragedy. How terrifying and shocking it is, i saw so many post videos about it and i was in shock, i think now whenever im on a bridge i will think of that, cant even imagine… youv written very well on this tragedy. As always, you write about relevant topics in ways we can all comprehend and discuss, praying for better and safer days. Sending you light

Duke Beaufort
Date: 3/29/2024 10:26:00 AM

IE, thanks for your thoughtful comment--the light you send always makes me smile and feel really good. I find the saddest part of this is the loss of the road crew who were working to support their families. There are a lot of compromises made in building bridges. The government principle is for what is in the public interest. Safety is not the top priority sad to say. Hard for people who are removed from the tragedy to understand what this means. At my former job, I argued for more safety, but I don't think people in power really listened or cared that much.

Andrea Dietrich

Date: 3/27/2024 2:56:00 PM

Another tragic event. They just keep coming. Well done, Duke.

Duke Beaufort
Date: 3/29/2024 11:30:00 AM

Andrea, prophetic you are. Rather sad that bad news seems to be on the rise. We're getting in each other's way in some sense. Not a good thing when that happens.

Vijay Pandit

Date: 3/27/2024 5:09:00 AM

A sad incident indeed. Bridge will be rebuilt, but that is no comfort to the families of people who died.

Duke Beaufort
Date: 3/27/2024 12:04:00 PM

Vijay, it's awful for those people. They were all contract employees fixing the pavement on the bridge. Things like this should never happen to anyone. We'll have to see what the investigation by the NTSB reveals.

Daniel Henry Rodgers

Date: 3/27/2024 4:42:00 AM

Hello Duke, Wow, what a tragedy, and you captured it so well in your poem. It shows that on any given day, things happen. - Blessings, my friend, Daniel

Duke Beaufort
Date: 3/27/2024 12:17:00 PM

Daniel, we never know what strange combination of events will lead to something like this. It's not common for a ship to lose power right after leaving a dock with everything running. I would assume they have checklists to pass before they get underway. The truth will come out at some point.

Hilda Greenhough

Date: 3/26/2024 8:47:00 PM

This certainly was a curve ball on Francis Scott Key. I hope I was supposed to laugh, because I did. This is a limerick that should be put into the history books.

Hilda Greenhough
Date: 3/27/2024 1:54:00 PM

I too am sad that people died.

Duke Beaufort
Date: 3/27/2024 1:43:00 PM

Hilda, you are very kind. There is some irony in how the bridge was named and destroyed. So, I think it's OK to laugh at the word play. I had mixed feelings while writing this and trying to be a bit clever. The fact that people died is horrible.

Jan Allison

Date: 3/26/2024 2:42:00 PM

I've been following the events on sky news, such a tragedy on so many levels. Seems the ship sent out a mayday before it happened but disaster couldn't be averted:-( hugs jan xx

Duke Beaufort
Date: 3/27/2024 2:03:00 PM

Jan, this tragedy affects a lot of people. I feel terrible for the workers and their families. Some of the people who built the bridge are likely still alive and this removes part of their legacy. That's usually not pleasant for them. They'll need to take solace thinking about how many people benefitted from what they did. The experts today have better safety designs that could prevent this; however, there will always be vulnerabilities.

Silent One

Date: 3/26/2024 12:43:00 PM

Hey Duke, your limerick captures a tragic event with succinct yet powerful imagery in this poem. By referencing the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, the poet immediately sets a tone of devastation and loss. The use of "morphed metal beams into steel scraps" paints a vivid picture of destruction, highlighting the magnitude of the disaster.

Duke Beaufort
Date: 3/26/2024 12:55:00 PM

Thanks SO. There are tragedies, deaths, and accidents all the time; but we live where these things aren't supposed to happen. Obviously, some protection was missing or certain procedures weren't followed. Usually something like this results from a whole series of events. Really sad for those who died, their families, the people who designed and built the bridge, and everyone affected.