It started out as a parody but I think it ended up more like a pastiche. Feel free to correct me on that though.
To-May, our daughter, 'naming is hard'. Yes-dear-May,
He says but these words. So your-moron farther,
We must teach the importance of naming. But to-May,
To-day, dad says, 'naming is hard'. Elisabeth
'Listen, what a beautiful name,' I thought, the day we met.
But to-day I say: naming is hard.
This is building our stronghold. And this
Is where her defenses will hold together or fall.
When you're a girl, name matters! And naming her is a big deal,
Which in your mind it clearly is not. The branches,
Old, swayed as I saw you across the yard, destiny
Which in your mind it clearly was not
This is our daughter's future of which you speak
With such a light tone in your voice. And please do not let me
See you make that expression again. You must defend her future
If you want her to survive in school. The blossoms
Are not alive as they were when we met, no more do they let
you make that expression again.
And do not think school is not war. The school yard, for kids,
Is a battlefield devoid of rules. We fail this and
Rapidly her name will become her downfall
Easing defeat. And rapidly her name would become
The only thing I could think. I fought it but lost, her name
My downfall, easing defeat.
Her downfall, easing defeat. We must fight for her future
If we want her to survive in school: It's a war
With no rules, give her no weak points, she is meant to survive
Which in our case we clearly were not; but Elisabeth the
Blossoms were alive in the schoolyard with the sound of your beautiful name
But to-May, my daughter: naming is hard.
I see, you are punning on Today/To-May and Yesterday/Yes-Dear-May..! Took me a while to get that. Yes, such a practice would definitely be parody - but I think you are right: as the poem goes along it moves into pastiche-territory and becomes more serious. Nicely done.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason I thought it was a Beatles-reference. I'm a sucker for good puns.
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