Poetry!

I learned about a new poetic form today, double dactyls. They share with the limerick that they have a very strict form, and they should be humorous. But double dactyls are harder. A lot. In fact, I'm not even going to try to write one until tonight, when I have some time to think. I dare any of you to try one.

Higgledy-piggledy  is a double dactyl, so is Jacqueline Kennedy.

The form: Two stanzas, four lines each. First three lines of each have to be double dactyls, last line is one dactyl plus one beat. Somewhere in the second stanza has to be a double dactylic word. (like valedictorian, and gubernatorial). The only rhymes are the last word of the last lines of each stanza. The very first line should be nonsense, and the second line should be a name, presumably of the person the poem is about. Complicated, huh?

Here's an example, by Washington Post writer Gene Weingarten:

Higgledy Piggledy

Joseph DiMaggio,

Jolted the ball but was

Jilted in bed.

Marilyn walked, but he

Necro-romantically

Laid her in rose bouquets

When she was dead.

Hey Jack! What's your middle name? I need three syllables.

Back to our regular programming tomorrow. Jack's planning a ride Saturday, and I plan to figure out a way to join him.