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Monday, May 25, 2020

A Truncated Wolalay on "...and yet..." (aka Getting to Yet)

     The wolalay or word ladder lyric is a 
poetic form of the author's own invention. 
It uses the series of words in a given word 
ladder as ends to successive lines of 
nonsense verse. 
     The item appearing below is a so-called 
truncated wolalay. Its form interrupts each 
successive line with a rhymed line. This item 
further differs from the standard wolalay in 
that the pair of words generating the initial 
ladder are incorporated as a kind of refrain 
following each rhyming pair. Wola...olé!

Who loathes each 'or' and loves each 'and'
should flourish as Our Founders plann'd
                                                 ...and yet...
     before we forward forge, I'd add
how oft with good drops anchor bad
                                                 ...and yet...
     withal thou rate these verses odd,
I pray, "Retire thy firing squad"
                                                 ...and yet...
     whilst some consult the OED,
hordes more withdraw to take a wee
                                                 ...and yet...
     as 'wee'ers would my verses wed
to witch'ry weird, they'd wish me dead
                                                 ...and yet...
     the few construe 'em "not all wet" --
well worthy of an alphabet
     or some such nonsense lit       ...and yet...

"Ann O'Paard, Regina Peartree"
Ulysses Poe
graphite pencil on copy paper
digitally modified
11" by 8 1/2"

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