Suzette Richards Poet Concrete

Notes About The Poem

I Don'T Give a Rat's Tail

This is the tale of a soul reaching out to others,

		  but receiving a cold shoulder wherever she goes.

							           Words and phrases

								are misconstrued,

							meanings attached

				which cloud the issues

			which she wishes

		           to address.

			      A passel

				   of jaded poets condescending;

						  who sear and cauterise

							       synapses 

						of intellect, and

					in the 

				    bud,

				         it’s 

					      vim.

						     I

						      don’t

						give

					    a

	        rat’s tail anymore.	
 
Copyright © Suzette Richards | Year Posted 2019
REPOSTED 11 July 2021 with white space added between the lines.

POET'S NOTE: The expression with reference to a rat that I use in my shaped poem, could perhaps be related to a phrase ‘don't give a dead rat’ from Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884).

‘The Mouse’s Tale’ (which was my inspiration for this concrete shape) is a shaped poem by Lewis Carroll which appears in his novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Though no formal title for the poem is given in the text, the chapter title refers to ‘A Long Tale’ and the Mouse introduces it by saying, ‘Mine is a long and sad tale!’ As well as the contribution of typography to illustrate the intended pun in this title, artists later made the intention clear as well.

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Quoth Theraven July 13, 2021 at 8:42 AM Suzette, I don't know what it is about your words that bring me 'round, over and over. Kindred soul hidden there between lovely verse., or that chip on your shoulder? Only know I wouldn't dare ask you to change one thing. -Richard Quoth Theraven July 17, 2021 at 1:44 PM Loved 'don't favour playing to the gallery'. -Richard Suzette Richards July 13, 2021 at 9:28 AM If I wish to call myself a poet, I need to have the courage of my convictions, as I don't favour playing to the gallery. Thanks for reading and the spot-on observation, Richard.

Jan Allison July 11, 2021 at 4:41 AM EXCEPTIONAL!!! love it from start to the tip of the tail, you are so creative Suzette, a true gem, into my faves - fyi the word rat is considered to be bad luck on our Island they are known as long tails, ringies or joeys:-) hugs Jan xx and i am getting well aware of the rats on soup and avoid them like the plague lol! Suzette Richards July 11, 2021 at 5:13 AM Thanks for the compliment re FAV :))