Notes About The Poem

9/3/2026 for 1498 Sept No:1 Poetry Contest sponsored by Brian Strand 

Morning Routine

ring, ring,
dang that thing

can't wake
for pete's sake.

get up
go pee
OK
let's see

stumble out
stub toe
bad start
let's go

water, straight
hydrate

good for cramps
don't call me gramps

take a walk
barefoot
neighbors talk
he's a nut
well put

big deal
this sludge
oatmeal
roughage

toothbrush -
what tooth?
corn mush
tooth gone
lost youth

I'm fed
make bed
another day
to dread
Copyright © | Year Posted 2026

Poem

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Smith  Avatar
September 4, 2026 at 5:49 AM
A wonderfully brisk, comic morning monologue—each clipped rhyme and abrupt line captures the groggy stumble from alarm to oatmeal with great timing. The escalating details, especially “what tooth?” and the final “another day / to dread,” give it a delightfully grumpy, self-aware voice.
Crandall Avatar
September 4, 2026 at 7:17 PM
Thanks, Alison! For this one, I just basically had to write literally write my morning routine.
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