Formula Fe2 O3
Iron is just awesome – let’s see!
First it was prehistoric man
Who was always an iron fan
Iron is a third of the earth
Industry is iron by birth
Pritchard designed and Darby made
Iconic Iron Bridge won’t fade
Smelt pig iron from iron ore
Produces cast iron galore
Backbone of skyscrapers, bridges
Organs of cars, washers, fridges
Clever Bessemer carbon gone
Heralded steel for everyone
Mankind’s most ingenious feat
Turning raw earth to steel – so neat!
Iron’s compounds are versatile
No wonder it’s used all the while
Inks, fertilisers, pesticides
Paints, enamels and more besides
Many iron phrases pervade
Each as an English language aid
There’s ironclad, iron curtain
Iron grip and more for certain
We need it in a small amount
For on haemoglobin we count
Open your eyes and look around
Everywhere an iron surround
Iron has magnetic appeal
First place must be iron with steel
Oh, Nothing! You sly, elusive spud,
You’re the star of this poem (though technically dud).
You haunt empty fridges, blank quizzes, and minds,
The gap where my keys hide and my weekend plans wind.
You’re the punchline of vacuums, the muse of bare shelves,
The reason I’m talking to lamps by myself.
You’re the “E” in my bank account, crisp and austere,
The punch I forgot in my joke over here.
Some say you’re profound—philosophers swoon,
But let’s be real: you’re a nap’s favorite tune.
You’re the silence between a bad pun and “Huh?”,
The plot of a mime’s TED Talk—oh, brother, enough!
You wear pajamas daily, yet still blend right in,
A champion of naps, but you never quite win.
You’re the cloudless blue sky with no bird, plane, or flair,
The “U up?” text sent to a cactus. Bold. Rare.
So here’s to you, Nothing, you cheeky old void,
The world’s quietest meme, forever deployed.
Though poets may weep for your depth, I insist:
You’re the *something* I missed… wait. Dang. Plot twist!
---
P.S. If you liked this poem, pay me in air.
(It’s fitting, since Nothing and I split despair.)
I always did fantasize about our diverse earth;
Its freezing stones in the fridges of the Arctic and Antarctic landscapes.
The idyllic playgrounds on the quiet sands of the Mediterranean Sea banks,
The amazing sun baked plains of the smoothened Sahara brown,
The tropical Haven of humid air, where the golden sun awakes in a fair and bright morning, and sets at even with its magnificent crimson smile.
What a cozy feeling can its temperate climes bring; with its sheer abundance of Clement weather.
A paradise indeed of ambient mildness.
I long for the warm gardens of Eden’s residues, with their ebullient and lush tropical green.
How pleasant it would be to cascade down the many waterfalls in an imaginary and wonderland fashion.
To go atop the zenith of each mountainous heaven from which pinnacle point you have the panoramic view of your own vanquished plains.
I once disappeared into the wind, in a midsummer night’s dream to see my global fantasies come true.
And like a boisterous eagle,
I glided high to the heavens for this global and utterly delightful bird’s eye view.
To The Demons you wish to be kind
It mustn’t cross your kind mind to bind:
They will be watching you, not at all blind,
As they remain Wrist Watches you wind...
Try to Good Reasons and “Funny” find
To for a while ward them off your mind;
Vile demons surprising with Freedom
Not excluded the Ones of Whoredom
And that which would sweeten Martyrdom
Plus the ones that tragic makes Stardom...
Demons are never for your closets,
From the tightest cages quick exits;
You should to Waiters for Painful End
Lengthy moments of Doomed Thrills lend...
They might keep sending us to fridges
But aren’t Men to keep crossing bridges?
We don’t like it when you talk back.
We’re in power, so we’ll have less of that.
Protest because of our lies and fascist policies.
Well, I don’t know if you plebs understand where the power is!
You see if you talk back it means you’re standing up to all our lies and our crap.
If you create a scene by standing up together, well that means that you could eventually control the power!!!
Because we’re Tories and we lie for a living. We just want you to keep on giving. So we’ll screw you hard and tax everything. We’ll make you plebs suffer with this ‘cost of living’
But if you stand up in mass and numbers. We’ll get really scared and hide in our fridges. Because the only thing that can stop the flow is the vehement look in your eyes when you plebs act in crowds. A general action will bring us to our knees because our billionaire backers will lose money.
Know some people with a Grand Canyon mouth
When they yawn, things not nailed down, go south
Fridges and microwaves
Two hundred ton whales
All succumb to this suction, even your spouse
A beautiful country deliberately engulfed
In flames, by looters who once again play the apartheid games
Stealing from your brothers the colour of your own skin
Is it a shame or do you call it a fair win?
Planning quick riots, stoking the unrest
Burning down shopping malls, causing instant joblessness
stealing fridges and tv’s that cannot fit into your car
A blue couch too big for your house, oh how bizarre!
Stone throwing unmarked vehicles, why?
Do you even care if the only breadwinner might die?
You only care about yourself and nothing less
Stop blaming apartheid when you caused this mess
Date: 29 July 2021
What are reindeer antlers for
Fighting other reindeer causing gore
Really anti-social
Social distancing tonal
Still need to stock their fridges I'm sure
The roads felt like empty fridges
I looked across all the bridges
It felt like walking on some ridges
Here and there I ran in fear
With all winds blowing in one gear
I found myself confronting a bear
Thinking my words would be my Spear
Looking into his eyes and saying I don't fear
I was so lucky that he didn't hear
Live like a lion and think like a deer
Know some people with a Grand Canyon mouth
When they yawn, things not nailed down go south
Fridges and microwaves
Two hundred ton whales
All succumb to this suction, even your spouse
Very happy with my new fridge magnet
Up to now twelve fridges it did attract
Now that's very literal
Should explain it to all
You see... oh never mind, just ask your kiddies in fact
Trump Being Calice
Trump has been crusty and also chalice;
Seems to be smothered with much malice;
He burns bridges;
Tips over fridges;
Deadly as poison in a competitor's chalice.
Jim Horn
Know some people with a Grand Canyon mouth
When they yawn, things not nailed down, go south
Fridges and microwaves
Two hundred ton whales
All succumb to this suction, even your spouse
Kept in the fridges of
kitchens of my land, the
King of Condiments is
Known to enhance french fries!
Kids at heart love it, so
Kick off your morning with
Ketchup on scrambled eggs!
March 10, 2017 for Pleiades K Contest of Kim Merryman
I came onto my street today
I stood in shock and awe
vast piles of garbage,in front of every house
is the sad sight that i saw
Its called a clean up so they say
but for this waste we all will pay.
majestic forests felled with greed
to satisfy our useless needs
tvs ,fridges,piled up high
this wasteful sight makes me just sigh.
buildings sore up to the clouds
heartles structures of glass and steel
their only claim is eye appeal.
and who lives in these ivory towers
multi nationals full of powers
plundering earths bounty
from above the city
for mountains of cash its such a pity
useless mountains of paper cash
to produce what?
these mounds of trash.
next time you buy that useless crap
two dollar shop or xmas wrap
make your next clean up pile be small
because it will really help us all
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