The Wednesday Poem

Fremantle Shipping News

Well I sent a little poem
To the Fremantle Shipping News
But it seems that Rhyme and Rhythm
Won’t advance me in the queue.

So my piece was left to languish
Never likely to be read
And a week or two went by
Before I emailed to the Ed.

What’s wrong with my submission
For the weekly poem slot?
I’ve never written a poem before
But I’ve given it a shot.

He replied within the hour
And this is what he said
“Our readers follow the latest trends
And Rhyming’s good as dead.

“Our readers are sophisticated
With degrees and honorifics
If we print this rhyming stuff for them
They’ll think we’re too simplistic.

“Fremantle leads the State you know
In Wellness and Pilates
You can get your aura photographed
While you’re sipping on a latte.

“We’re cultured and we’re literate
With music and with art
We’ve got Tim Winton and Craig Silvey
To show we’re really smart.

“We’ve got a Chamber Orchestra
Playing music from the past
To an audience of pensioners
Although numbers are dwindling fast.

“So your old fashioned rhyming poems
Won’t impress our Avant Garde
Who read the Fremantle Shipping News
In preference to The Bard”.

​Peter Clarke

^ Peter Clarke is an occasional contributor to the Shipping News, a keen photographer, and keeps a close eye on Fremantle, as you can tell!

~ Look here for other poems in The Wednesday Poem feature

~ And don’t miss our podcast interviews with other poets in our Poets Paddock feature

~ If you’d like to SUBMIT A POEM FOR THE WEDNESDAY POEM or COMMENT on this or any of our stories, don’t hesitate to email our Editor.

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