I morfed while speaking ASL (or was that a/s/l?)
Across the keys my fingers moved, in ALL CAPS DID I YELL
Hermaphroditic princess of Marcel Duchamp’s white throne
Nonplussed by nonsense on the screen, the drivel of a drone.
He asked me “Do u wanna chat?” l asked him, “Can you spell?
He asked “Whut R u Waring?” and I muttered, “Go to Hell.”
I judge performance with a pen, its ink as red as blood;
If you say “Insert A in B,’ your name, it will be mud.”
He vowed to be my lackey; and I, his Mistress (“Dork!”)
Dispatched him to a chat room with a jeweled tuna fork
And there did bid him to recite, in front of all and sundry,
A sonnet from atop his head – no limp iambic blund’ring!
He couldn’t get it up to rhyme (his fountain pen, I mean!)
Next thing he did was disconnect, and ne’er again was seen.
Written in 2007, based on an online chat circa 1990 but apparently one of those “evergreen” things that’s relatable, even today.
Holly, your biting wit proves, once again, that the pen is mightier than the sword.
That was a lively poem.
But, what is 1365? Do you really have that many poems?
Cheers,
Mitch
Hahahaha! Thank you. I probably don’t have that many – and now, after more than a dozen years, I honestly don’t know if I was thinking 1 day is like the other 365, or if I just started typing and ran out of room. (I’m wondering if anyone else will even catch this banter and toss it around with us.) Maybe it was just a snide and sneaky way of saying “This one’s for U”! (But not YOU, of course. Not YOU.)
🙂
Oh I remember the asl days. I had so much trouble reading the internet lingo and the abbreviated words. 😅 Enjoyed reading your poem
I forget how hard it was to LEARN Internet lingo (and honestly, I’m of the age that invented such things as “LMAO” and “ROFL”). I guess “WTB” (its 1990 meaning: “Winky-Tink Break,” now known as a “bio break”) never really caught on. I still smack folks with the ASCII trout, now and then. <:}}{{<< https://www.netlingo.com/acronyms.php
They say “WTB” now means “Want to buy.” Makes me laugh when I see it in FB Marketplace listings. I’m also old enough to remember when “ISO” meant International Standards Organization and NOT “In search of…”
Holly, if you had the presence of mind to create binary wordplay, then either you are a formidable lexiconumerologist or a skilled back-formation practitioner. Either way, that’s literally the coolest explanation for your poem’s title.
Cheers,
Mitch
I am both, thank you for noticing! (Just can’t remember back that far to swear it was intentional AT THE TIME.)
You’re welcome*. I’ve always appreciated the way you communicate. I may not comment on some of the topics on my self-imposed taboo list, but it’s always fun to read well-thought articles.
Cheers,
Mitch
p.s. * tantum talis talem cognoscere potest
Indeed!
*Semper ubi sub ubi!
I enjoyed this one. Such a Holly poem !
It is! LOL I’m glad you enjoyed it.
ha ha! trust you to judge performance by pen 🙂 What a fun one, Holly!
People who can’t spell are such a turn-off! 😂😉
I remember those days of ICQ & Internet chats! Such a creative sonnet – I don’t think I could write anything quite like this!
I had to go back and look – I was never an ICQ user, but mIRC is still around, and in fact had a new stable release in November! Nice to see someone who remembers.
Gosh don’t they ever realize how bad spelling are such a turn off! And can we please see more such from your archives?
No, they never seem to figure that out! Isn’t that hilarious? Of course, my brain doesn’t quite “get” erotica – when I write it, it invariably turns into humor. Trivial Pursuit and Jeopardy get me all hot and bothered, on the other hand. 😉 I must be wired funny. Good thing my husband doesn’t seem to mind that!
I will have to go rummaging through the archives… meanwhile, can I interest you in a sonnet? An ode to roadkill? See this post for my poem, “Two Armadillos’ Strife.”