Monday, October 16, 2006

Apprentice.


‘Just fetch that bucket over here,
that’s the one, hurry up and catch these words.
Put them?
Oh, over there next to the useful phrases,
they’ll be gone soon enough!
Next time you go into the loft,
keep your eyes open for those
complex sentences; and while you’re there,
if you come across that box of really long words,
dump them!
See this tin of cliches here, weld the lid on –
wouldn’t like to get dependent
on those things!
That sack of slang over in the corner,
the one covered in history dust,
now that’s really worth rummaging through.
There, see - by the door! Why do you think I left them out?
A choice selection of imports;
if you sort through the Latin and Greek,
you may be surprised by the Arabic and Sanskrit
among the other welcomed immigrants,
disguised and Anglicised.
Try them out – loose that curled tongue!
By the way, where did you put all those good ideas?
Hope you didn’t sling them out with the bad ones!’

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