[Part 1]
On a day such as this
insist on more than the truth
H
Y
P
E R B
O
L
E
Today,
dear poet,
we must insist on more,
more than the ordinary turn of phrase,
other than the usual stock in trade
Such a day as this cries out for emphasis
Where are the thoughts that swing from the trees?
Where are the hats that hang in the breeze?
Where are the words that'll freshen the air like a shower?
On a day such as this
insist on more than the truth
(What is the designate etiquette on such a day?)
[Part 2]
At last,
by reasoning cast as a character peevishly bound,
the solution comes clear:
persevere!
I was nearly drowned!
(The folderol of fretful peregrination)
It rained CATS
It rained dogs
It rained logs
It rained HATS
It rained trees
It rained fleas
It rained SPATS
It rained boxes to put it all in
(The trumpet call of rampant exaggeration)
With each ensuing sneeze
Raindrops shake from the leaves,
and they shake from the trees,
shake from the leaves of the sheltering trees
Grumbling over the goats they go
Mumbling under their coats they know
Bundling into the boats they row
Who knows where they go?
They go where they go where they go
(The folderol of fretful peregrination)
Yo ho!
Oh, ho!
If the rain doesn't stop,
and the boxes pile up,
then we'll pass on the motion
to bail out the ocean with buckets!
That's the word that's overheard
(The trumpet call of rampant exaggeration)
(What is the designate etiquette on such a day?)
[Part 3]
Some will say the feet
Some will say a dog
Some will say a man's best friend is hyperbole
