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How a Perfunctory Poet Punctuates a Piece

A period here. a question mark there? A handful of commas,,,tossed in the air To fall all willy-nilly but he doesn't care. Then he closes his eyes so he never sees, And does it again with apostrophe's. Next colons: and semis; are put through their paces, And are frequently found in the oddest of places. Quotations are more than just dressing or stuffing, Yet often appear when "nobody said nuffing". It makes reading a chore just to try to adhere To a writer's directions of what to do where, But you barrel on through 'til you get to the end, Give your eyes time to uncross, And then try it again. Some poets abjure punctuation, for sure, And though not a big fan, I'm a reasonable man. e e cummings, for example, Responds to the call By using little or no punctuation at all. Author's note: To quote the author Cormac McCarthy: "If you write properly you shouldn't have to punctuate." Poets such as e e cummings, et al, apparently took him up on that. Please understand, dear reader, that this piece is punctuated incorrectly to make a point. And I blush to admit that I, myself, am overly fond of "quotation marks" and…ellipses.

Copyright © | Year Posted 2023




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Date: 3/31/2023 11:18:00 AM
I had to chuckle. I use to be one who worried about punctuation and capitals and then when I did haiku they had none of that. Great poem. love phyl
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Jim Slaughter
Date: 4/1/2023 9:40:00 AM
They're still important, I believe, and, with "poetic license" thrown in, can be used to great advantage. I love haiku, too. Thank you, phyl.
Date: 3/25/2023 1:20:00 PM
jim - this is an absolute delight! i'm especially fond of the 2nd verse, which made me grin. if i could, i'd eliminate capital letters, but not punctuation...
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Jim Slaughter
Date: 3/25/2023 1:24:00 PM
Thanks, Ilene. I don't know...sometimes the "I" is all that keeps the "me" from disappearing altogether.
Date: 3/25/2023 1:07:00 PM
I love this poem, Jim. You might have included tho.se poets who over-punctuate, most notoriously Emily Dickinson. Personally I try my hardest not to punctuate when there's no conflict in what I write (at least not that I'm aware of). An enjoyable read, sir. / Maurice
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Jim Slaughter
Date: 3/25/2023 1:20:00 PM
Thanks, M. I never noticed that about Emily's stuff. I'll pay more attention from now on.
Date: 3/25/2023 11:34:00 AM
Dear Jim, I am completely charmed by your delightful poem and ingenious title. There are so many perfect playful moments in your poem that made me smile; both with amusement and at my own obsession with using semis and abbreviated ellipses (only .. instead of … lol!). Wonderfully witty writing! Warmest wishes, my friend.. ~Susan
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Jim Slaughter
Date: 3/25/2023 1:21:00 PM
Thank you, Susan. We all have our "quirks"...maybe that's what makes our writing special.

Book: Shattered Sighs