Free Verse

Boy stood stolid, jaw jutting, fingers fully

Flexed.

Father tearfully, lovingly

gave,

freely,

generously.

But

the boy left and took the cash.

Dancing, girls, dancing girls,

yeah, yeah, yeah,

food and drink and immorality.

But soon

the money had all been spent, gleefully, extravagantly, enthusiastically, unthinkingly, wildly.

Dark, grim, macabre unforgiving famine

Gripped the land by the throat and

Squee-ee-ee-ee-ezed life f

                                                       r

                                                              o

                                                                      m

                                                                                      i

                                                                                           t.

The boy sat

hunched, hungry, hopeless as the hogs

swallowed their swansong swill, swashingly.

Dayight dawned dramatically in his troubled mind;

he recognised the depth of his

great sin, humiliation

and need.

He took a decision, and made a resolution.

It was a revolution, on account of a revelation.

‘I shall go home.

I shall ask to serve.

To serve.

I cannot expect to be treated

as a son

any longer.’

Yet as the boy approached,

       His pa (at Shangri-la)

                Saw him from afar!

                         Ran to him with gifts for

                                  Every part of his boy:

                                             Lips, finger, arms, body,

                                                        Feet, stomach.

                                                                  And heart;

                                                                          Of course, his heart.

‘My son was a fading memory; now he’s a present reality!’

Telegram

DAD GAVE CASH SO BOY GAVE FARM THE CHOP STOP • WHISTLESTOP SPENT ALL ON TROLLOP IN WINESHOP STOP • FAILING CROP - FAMINE - OR PORK PORK CHOP SLOP GLOP DOLLOP SWAP STOP • REVELATION WALLOP STOP • PA ON ROOFTOP SAW FROM AFAR AND GREETED WITH TEARDROP RING COAT SHOES AT GALLOP BUT DID NOT STROP (GOOD COP)STOP • CALF LIFE HAD TO STOP STOP • ROLLMOP SCALLOP LOLLIPOP STOP • DEAD SON ALIVE SO LETS BOP SAYS POP STOP

Lepogram

made-up name; avoiding the letter ‘i’

Younger son took a share of dad’s money, and went to a land far away, where he spent every penny on women and excess.

Hunger ravaged the country, and the son fed hogs. He longed to eat the hogs’ food. He suddenly understood that he has been a fool and that he should go home and be a servant to the old man. ‘Now’s the best moment to get up and go home,’ he concludes.

But when he was yet a long way off, father saw the boy as he approached. He ran and hugged the boy, and made presents of a coat, some gold jewellery, a couple of sandals and several pecks on the cheek.

The calf suffered slaughter and a party ensued. ‘He was lost but now he’s been found! Rumours of my son’s death were greatly exaggerated!’

Star Trek

mainly inspired by the movies and The Next Generation series

The Lieutenant Commander took part in an Insurrection, and gained many bars of gold-pressed latinum from Captain Khan (who has a sister, but they were Generations apart). 

He joined an away team, leaving Cargo Bay Two in a shuttle (1701/7), landing by a Kirk in an Undiscovered Country on the surface of a nearby planet, Dissipate II, in the Deesturnt Galaxy, across the Eiondah Expanse. He made First Contact with life forms which proved to be as destructive as the Borg, and soon his shields were off-line  and he could count his Bones.

He envied a porcelline entity and had difficulty finding letters in the latter half of the alphabet, resulting in a lengthy Search for S. Pock-marked and wasting away, he realised he needed to visit Medical, where his physical needs could be assessed by use of a tricorder.

A mind-meld rerouted his neural net. He started The Voyage Home and he was in Motion. Picture the scene as he sought permission to come aboard the Constellation Class Starship again. He was beamed up to the transporter room, fearing he’d be facing the Wrath of Khan. 

But while his biomatter was still in the buffer stream (beyond the Final Frontier), the Captain gave him a new ring, holodeckshoes, a uniform, and nutritional supplements.

‘Replicate earl grey tea (hot), Romulan ale and synthahol for the crew. Make it so. Number Two was missing and I was aloNe. Me sister thought he was entering Stovokor, but he has returned to this current timespace continuum!’

Limerick

There was a young waster, whose money

Ran out — all spent on a honey.

Piggy swill caused offenses,

Then he came to his senses;

Happy dad gave good gifts to his Sonny.

Pangram

full use of alphabet in few words as in The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog; or Sphinx of black quartz, judge my vow

Son acquired his money — v wild extreme. Pigs of realization. Back to joy!          

Villanelle

as Dylan Thomas’ Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night

The son hoped that the father loved so well;

Demanded such an early gift of cash –

His spirits gently rose from love’s compell.

He went away, so soon, bidding farewell

And quickly, wildly spent the giant stash;

The son forgot that father loved so well.

Now gambling, dancing with Mademoiselle

DuToit he stepped up with a perfect dash;

His spirit gave no thought to love’s compell.

But famine cruelly struck; he was unwell;

He envied, yearned to eat the piggy’s mash;

The son reduced. His father grieved as well.

Returning boy, the watchman gave a yell

Of joy; was running, gifting with panache;

His spirits rose and longed from love’s compell.

‘Reported death was a mere bagatelle.

He lives! E’en so he caused my teeth to gnash!’

The son now knows his father loves so well

His spirit’s welcomed back by love’s compell.