Notes About The Poem

 

R.J. Lindley
Rhyme, (Dark Tales Told)
April 19th 1971
Note: Presented as was written for a high school class assignment. Great teacher, so very strict, gave me a C+ grade on it....
She herself a great poet, I then barely 17 years old, thought the grade was just....
Now I think maybe,  it was justly due at least a B....

Syllables Per Line: 0 11 10 11 10 0 11 10 11 10 0 11 10 11 10 0 11 10 11 10
Total # Syllables: 168
Total # Words: 122

This Age Old Tale Has Now Been Truly Told

This Age Old Tale Has Now Been Truly Told

Farmer was old, beloved land eroded
Story told, how his farmhouse exploded
Very soon after he was newly wedded
Inquiry his young wife dearly dreaded.

His body freshly placed in new graveyard ground
Back at his farm only emptiness found
New wife and hired hand had fled so far away
None there caring enough to make them pay.

Sorrows in howling night winds there fiercely blew
Moaning echoed words that so many knew
Empty dynamite box hidden in old barn
Revealing this sad story is no yarn.

Train they took, had wrecked at rampage junction pass
Both dead in crushed steel, jagged window glass
Justice, they died young, while he so very old
This age old tale has now been truly told.

R.J. Lindley
Rhyme, (Dark Tales Told)
April 19th 1971
Note: Presented as was written for a high school class assignment.
Great teacher, so very strict, gave me a C+ grade on it....
She herself a great poet, I then barely 17 years old, thought the grade was just....
Now I think maybe,  it was justly due at least a B....

Syllables Per Line: 0 11 10 11 10 0 11 10 11 10 0 11 10 11 10 0 11 10 11 10
Total # Syllables: 168
Total # Words: 122
Copyright © | Year Posted 2018

Poem

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Theraven Avatar
June 4, 2023 at 9:08 PM
Robert, Finest stories told, old or young, best reward in requiem. -Richard
Ajmal Avatar
July 31, 2018 at 1:31 PM
This is such a lovely poem, I honestly wonder that why your teacher gave you a C+, I am 16 and my poems are quite ordinary, still because I am the only one in my class who is interested in poetry, apart from my english teacher, the whole school staff always appreciate me, whenever there is a competition, I am given the chance, so your this poem sure is a really nice one for a 17 year old, so did anyone got an A? I don't think so
Y. Avatar
July 30, 2018 at 9:36 AM
Hi Robert, You have posted an oldie but goodie. It was a joy to see your remarkable talent at such a young age. Your poem was well written with an good ending. Karma will happen wheather we want it to or not . Excellent job:-) Alexis
Lindley Avatar
July 30, 2018 at 10:36 AM
Thank you my good friend. I truly wish I had, to present here, a treasure trove of my very best poems(IMHO), written in two private journals over a three year period- over 600 poems. All lost-stolen and burned many decades ago, by a vindictive ex-wife. Life deals its hard blows and we must carry on.
Boddie Avatar
July 30, 2018 at 8:13 AM
karma, the greatest female dog of all....acts of shadiness ensure you will fall....sure you may think you got away clean....but think about your frustration in your daily routine....failing health, compounding debt, and both, lost and false friends....and stress from thinking will it ever end....or maybe its just coincidence if that's what you want to think....but what goes around comes back just to see the deceitful sink....powerful write my good friend mr Robert....
Lindley Avatar
July 30, 2018 at 9:06 AM
Thank you my good friend. Great verses you just penned! Right on the mark too...
Sharp Avatar
July 30, 2018 at 12:03 AM
It says something about the subjectivity of any art form, because it's smashingly good writing. Seventeen ? Very impressive.
Lindley Avatar
July 30, 2018 at 12:39 AM
Thank you my good friend. Very glad you liked this old poem my friend. I pulled it from my one of my old private journals and almost decided not to share it here.
Michael Avatar
July 29, 2018 at 9:18 PM
Instant karma...This sound like a true true...incredible what people can do...Nicely written...All the best Robert
Lindley Avatar
July 30, 2018 at 12:37 AM
Thank you my good friend. Sad but well known is history reveals far, far worse than this example of evil and man's weakness.
Marcum Wong Avatar
July 29, 2018 at 8:21 PM
I agree Robert, it certainly deserved better than a C+. I am sure you became inspired to work toward an A. Karma will catch up to you every time, either now or in the next life. I really enjoyed the ending, but the fact that they went together is not entirely sad. : )
Lindley Avatar
July 29, 2018 at 8:40 PM
Thank you my dear friend. You are correct, her teaching and her grading did inspire me all the more. I am still waiting for that day- when any one of my poems may justly receive an A+.. A man can dream can't he??
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