A Day Such as This

On a day such as this

insist on more than the truth

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Today,

dear poet,

we must insist on more,

more than the ordinary turn of phrase,

other than the usual stock in trade

Such a day as this cries out for emphasis

Where are the thoughts that swing from the trees?

Where are the hats that hang in the breeze?

Where are the words that'll freshen the air like a shower?

On a day such as this

insist on more than the truth

(What is the designate etiquette on such a day?)

At last,

by reasoning cast as a character peevishly bound,

the solution comes clear:

persevere!

I was nearly drowned!

(The folderol of fretful peregrination)

It rained CATS

It rained dogs

It rained logs

It rained HATS

It rained trees

It rained fleas

It rained SPATS

It rained boxes to put it all in

(The trumpet call of rampant exaggeration)

With each ensuing sneeze

Raindrops shake from the leaves,

and they shake from the trees,

shake from the leaves of the sheltering trees

Grumbling over the goats they go

Mumbling under their coats they know

Bundling into the boats they row

Who knows where they go?

They go where they go where they go

(The folderol of fretful peregrination)

Yo ho!

Oh, ho!

If the rain doesn't stop,

and the boxes pile up,

then we'll pass on the motion

to bail out the ocean with buckets!

That's the word that's overheard

(The trumpet call of rampant exaggeration)

(What is the designate etiquette on such a day?)

Some will say the feet

Some will say a dog

Some will say a man's best friend is hyperbole