Thursday, November 7, 2019

Welcome to the Fun Factory!


Luna Park, Sydney, Australia, photo: Sascha Grant

Calling all punsters, all witty-quippers, all wordspinners— 
the fun factory is open for business! 

Last week, Kate O'Neil challenged us to write a poem with words at play. (Read her TLD reader spotlight HERE.)

Someone very wise once said—

duncan c

(Attributed to Benjamin Franklin, George Bernard Shaw, Thomas Jefferson, Babe Ruth, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and any number of others, including Anonymous.)

Kudos to whoever it was. I wholeheartedly agree! 

So in an effort to counter the process of aging (beauty sleep be damned), I've been thinking a lot about this challenge over the past several days. On Tuesday, I shared a playful couplet from Ogden Nash that fits the bill. I could have just as easily shared these two clever lines from Douglas Florian. The humorous and imaginative verse of Jack Prelutsky comes to mind for this challenge, Calef Brown's mash-ups, and several zany poems by J. Patrick Lewis, including this one. In a comment to last week's interview, Tabatha Yeatts mentioned Brian Bilston and Greg Pincus. While Kate suggested malapropisms, ambiguities, unintended meanings, puns, and cliches as sources of inspiration, it occurred to me that wordplay can also be expressed visually—by playing with word sequence or layout, like these examples from Bob Racska's Wet Cement. I like that some of you on the padlet are going in that direction.

The early onset of Black Friday sales this month reminded me of a wordplay poem I wrote back in 2013. It's about the relentless Internet ads that pop up during this season of retail holiday cheer.  Indulge me as I repost it six years later—a brief little affair I call "Cyber Seduction."

Cyber
Seduction

It all began
with cookies. Now
and then, you popped up
unexpectedly.   It was cute,
you were sweet, and before long
you fell into step with my digital footprint.
Just a fling, I told myself, but you wanted more:
my time, attention, undying devotion, a credit card number
and personal security code.  And then it happened.  Black Friday.
It was late. There on my lap in the bedroom, aura glowing, you
told me I was glamorous, well-to-do, elite, and that XL or XS
didn’t matter. “2-for-1,” you said, “a limited-time offer.”
So I gave you my IP address, my credit card, the
works.  Who could resist those promises,
now as empty as my bank account? 
For a time I thought we clicked,
but now I realize I did all
the clicking. And what
once was 2-for-1,
is now just me,
50% off.

© 2013 Michelle Heidenrich Barnes. All rights reserved.


...storrao...


Our fun factory is waiting for your wordplay poem! While there, enjoy the ditties already posted by Michelle Kogan, Linda Trott Dickman, Janie Lazo, Dianne Moritz, Linda Baie, Diane Mayr, and Cindy Breedlove.





Thanks to Irene Latham, our "still and steady" host of this week's Poetry Friday roundup. You'll find her and this week's offerings at Live Your Poem. Join me here for next week's roundup and a big announcement!

35 comments:

  1. Ah what a fun cyber-sucked-in poem you composed… or maybe it composed you… Either way I thoroughly enjoyed it! The character on top is a bit scary, but perhaps it'll stir some imaginations, thanks Michelle!

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  2. Fun, Michelle! "For a time I thought we clicked,/but now I realize I did all/the clicking" makes me smile every time. Thanks for taking those troublesome ads and turning them into entertainment!

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    1. When the season starts THIS early, we've got to do something, right?! It's better than focusing on current events anyway.

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  3. LOL! Funny and TRUE, Michelle. All so tempting that day after the big dinner.
    Don't miss Sylvia Vardell's interview and encounter with Calef Brown. Lots of fun and funny puns there today.

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    1. Thanks for the heads up, Linda! I added the link to my post. :)

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  4. Dear Michelle - a seduction, indeed! You are often the one to remind me through your posts to "have fun with it" so thank you! xo

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    1. Thank you, Irene. This one WAS fun to write—no doubt about it!

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  5. That "told me I was glamorous" gets me every time I read your poem, Michelle. I haven't had that experience, probably a good thing - ha! Love all the "come-ons" you've reminded us about! Fun to read, perhaps a needed reminder?

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    1. Truth be told, Linda, I haven't been told I was glamorous either, but I'm sure the cyber bots would if I frequented fashion sites... which I clearly don't. LOL

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  6. LOVE your poem -- thanks for the smile today. So clever and true!

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  7. What a great poem, Michelle. I love all the consumerism wordplay. The ending, "now just me 50% off" is brilliant. Shopping during the holidays definitely makes me feel at least 50% off. But your poem is 100% fun!

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    1. Aw thanks, Michelle! A sense of humor is a must during this time of year.

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  8. Your poem is the best! Wordplay at its finest!

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  9. That is amazing, Michelle. I love it.

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  10. I love your poem, Michelle! Witty and intriguing.

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    1. Thanks, Randi. If you have time, you should definitely give this challenge a go! I have no doubt you'd come up with something terrific.

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  11. I love this, Michelle! Ha! Well played. :)

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    1. Unknown... ha! You can't hide from me, Renée. Thanks! :D

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  12. Love this poem. So timely and full of truth!

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  13. So far I'm still at the being seduced stage, but hopefully your poem will bring me to my senses Michelle!

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    1. Be careful, Cheriee. Those cyber bots can be real charmers. ;)

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  14. This is so clever, Michelle! Sadly, it's also true! I love your expansive definition of word play.

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    1. Thanks, Catherine. I hope you'll get a chance to write one this month!

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  15. Hee-hee! As timely today as it was 6 years ago, Michelle! =)

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  16. I especially love:

    For a time I thought we clicked,
    but now I realize I did all
    the clicking.

    Perfect. :)

    May we watch out for the clicks, but never stop playing! :)

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  17. Oohlala! Cyberseduction indeed, how many people fall prey to that - all. the. time. :)

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  18. Great poem, Michelle, your poem is a funny one but alas true for many- advertisement seduction is a reality and your line captures this: "you told me I was glamorous, well-to-do, elite". World play humor is found throughout your links.

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