Today I did a quick-write poem about California Caverns, where I work part time. By quick-write, I mean that I’ve made no edits to this poem and kicked it out pretty fast. The limitations I placed on it were that each line had to rhyme with every other line, and I couldn’t use a rhyming word twice, and I couldn’t use a dictionary/thesaurus/other reference to think up words — I could only use my head. This is what I came up with:
Don’t take fright
If your guide turns off the light
We promise not to bite
Though the bat in our cave might
To save you from this plight
We’ll restore to you your sight
And chase away the night
So your fears will all take flight
See now formations white:
- Soda straws and stalactites
- Twisty, curvy helictites
- And headless stalagmites
All made from pure calcite.
Walk through our tunnels tight
And duck if you have height
Wear a helmet — it’s all right
To go without’s not very bright
At last, you will alight
Full of wonder and delight
And a tad more erudite
Of the cave of which I write
What do you think?
