22

Twenty-two bottles

Aligned on the bar.

Twenty-two mottles

Of dottles and tar.

 

Twenty-two handles

Of dust, rust, and icks.

Twenty-two candles

With mouldering wicks.

 

Twenty-two tables

With rickety chairs.

Twenty-two labels

Of libels and swears-

And a man in a corner

Who voices his cares:

 

Happale! Happale! Happale! Hall!

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall!

Carnage and darnage all over the wall!

Like pickles on pumpery-nickels!

 

Twenty-two brokers

In shambles and shards.

Twenty-two jokers

With twenty-two cards.

 

Twenty-two stoics

Who sag to their toes.

Twenty-two poets

Who merely write prose.

 

Twenty-two pages

Weighed down and laid low.

Twenty-two sages

Who think that they know.

 

Twenty-two healers

With septic cold sores.

Twenty-two dreamers

With no open doors-

And the man in the corner

Still rages and roars:

 

Heppity! Heppity! Heppity! Hee!

Sundried tomatoes on top of a tree!

The world is awry in the direst degree!

Like pickles on pumpery-nickels!

 

Twenty-two muddles,

No why or because.

Twenty-two puddles

Of all that once was.

 

Twenty-two achy,

Outworn, out of tune.

And a little old lady

Who reads Goodnight Moon.

 

Hush! All that’s sacred

Is sacred no more.

All has been grated

And drifts to the floor.

-EDP

Reviews

[@_av_poetry]

You put a lot of thought and work into your poems and it shows. Well done!

[emipoemi]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.

[Relic]

Where in the world did this come from!! haha I could never write anything as in depth as this. Awesome stuff. :)

[emipoemi]

It came from experience......and from being observant and philosophical (as is the case with almost all my poems). Thanks for reading. Glad you enjoyed it.

[janthsull53]

Especially liked the pumpery-nickel line and the fact that you used it twice. Wasn't what I was expecting when the title drew me in but I was grated and drifted to the floor 22 times. I don't know what that meant but you inspired me. Thank you for sharing.

[emipoemi]

Your comment has cheered me much, good, sir. Interpret this how you want, I make it a habit to leave the interpretation up to the readers (I just lay out the bread crumbs to see if they find the trail). But I'm so glad I've inspired you through this. Thanks for reading!