I finally enrolled in University in my very late 30’s and it wasn’t until my graduating year (1989) in a Creative Writing class, that I found out I loved writing poetry. But it was axiomatic that creation required passion. I wrote De Baiting Game while my first born daughter Keri-Lynn Janis (after Janis Joplin — “thanks a lot, dad” she told me after reading about the 60’s songbird) and I were arguing about what I can’t remember. What I realized about the two of us while writing the poem, was that we were very much alike.
De Baiting Game – Paul Turney March 1989
Take one headstrong young adult
Add one parent, much the same
Toss in some silly issue
And you have de Baiting game.
…
To start, youngster regurgitates
Some “truth” she’s learned of late
From someone in her high school class
An acquaintance, or a date.
…
She throws it out in front of you
Then waits with bated breath
For her wise old dad’s opinion,
It will come as sure as death.
…
She knows that he will disagree
But she baits him anyway
She’s not prepared to listen
She just wants him to play.
…
He argues from experience
Though he knows he cannot win
If he throws enough against the wall
Just once, it might sink in.
…
Her “theory”, as oft as not
Will be essentially inane
But that’s the bait that’s needed
To begin de Baiting Game.
…
“I didn’t ask for your advice!”
She baits dad once again
“It’s not advice but simple truth,”
To deaf ears, this refrain.
…
The evidence that backs his case
Is daddy’s last resort
She baits him with “You’re playing God”
(The ultimate retort.)
…
He won’t tell her she’s ignorant
(The “prophecy”, he fears)
It could be self-fulfilling
And would surely lead to tears.
…
And so he’ll wait with bated breath
‘Til she admits her theory’s lame
Or ‘til she becomes a politician
Getting paid to play de Game.
Another great one. These are awesome, Paul!
Thanks again, Sean. You are too kind. You have also raised the bar pretty high for me. My prof called some of my poetry doggerel so I more or less stopped showing people what I was doing — and pretty much curtailed production. But, I do have a few more that I really like. When your biggest fan (@MichelleGillies) gets them up on site, I hope you will take a look. By the way, I enjoyed reading “Available Darkness” and will shortly be into “Yesterday’s Gone” and anything else Michelle will turn loose. Keep up the great work!
You seemed so old back then, (tee hee) but now I know thirties are not old at all! Is this what I have to look forward to when I will have three teenagers all around the same time? But I won’t be young and in my thirties!! Ack!!
Yes I was and yes you do and no you won’t! But it’s an adventure. Thank you, Ker.
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Thank you!