Quiet As A Dormouse Poems | Examples


List of Member Poems

The Foreigner Next Door

There's this nasty lady living right 
by ours
A cranky old mare holed up next to our house 
Her garden is minging and her blinds 
are a lot worse
She acts dead weird, I reckon she's proper mental 
Her knees are knobby and her walk is
a bit wonky
The foreign woman next door has no right to be here 
She doesn't fit in so she stays out of sight 
She has no mates, always mutters to herself 
We want her out, she's not one of us 
Let's egg her house for a laugh and scare the pants off her
So they pelted my door with rotten eggs then posted dog poo through the mail slot 
While I remained quiet as a dormouse 
and prayed they would just let me be
The natives glozed over their mean deeds
And claimed they meant no offense 
My hands were tied, what with being odd man out 
So I chose to feign indifference, and passed the baton to the Gods of karma
While I laid back to feast on a larger slice
Of this local brand of hospitality

And My Family's Still Asleep

Early alarm,
Set for the same time each day.
I awaken and stumble through the dark.

Eyes adjust,
Slowly opening and focusing.
I walk down the hall and hear the dog bark.

“Okay, okay”,
I hear myself whisper,
But audible enough for her to hear.

I open the door.
Quickly she runs.
Her business done, she comes back here.

Shower now,
Quickly and quietly.
No need to awaken the rest in the house.

Brush my teeth,
Then I shave.
Still trying to stay quiet as a dormouse.

Completely dressed,
Place a kiss
Gently upon my wife’s face, without a peep.

In the hall,
Walking to the door,
Going to work and my family’s still asleep.

Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.

Get a Premium Membership
Turn off ads, get more exposure for your poetry, and get more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Diverse Voices: The Poetry of Human Rights and the Pursuit of Peace