Don’t Even Bother Dust? What’s the fuss? I’ll give it a nudge but only if I must. C’mon, Let’s kick that can down the road. Dust disgusts me not. I’m nonplussed by robust drifts of the stuff. Don’t like it on shelves? Give it a brush. Don’t like it atop books? Give it a puff. Seriously, Let’s kick that can down the road. I’m an adult. I’ve hushed the unjust voices in my head that would insult this dust-encrusted home. Trust me, Let’s kick that can down the road. © Mary Lee Hahn, 2022
.
The Poetry Sisters wrote bop poems this month. They have three stanzas (6 lines, 8 lines, 6 lines) and a repeating refrain. Additionally, the three stanzas should 1. introduce a problem, 2. elaborate on it, and 3. solve it. Our shared refrain was “Let’s kick that can down the road.”
My first challenge was to thing of something I’d “kick down the road” without trying to fix it. Something I can absolutely do without. Well, that’s easy…dusting!
Here’s what the rest of the Poetry Sisters came up with this month:
Tanita has the Poetry Friday roundup this week @ {fiction, instead of lies}
Tricia @ The Miss Rumphius Effect
Sara @ Read Write Believe
Laura @ Laura Purdie Salas
Liz @ Liz Garton Scanlon
Kelly @ Kelly Ramsdell
Andi @ A Wrung Sponge
Next month, we’ll be writing Heidi’s Definito Poems: the definito is a free verse poem of 8-12 lines (aimed at readers 8-12 years old) that highlights wordplay as it demonstrates the meaning of a less common word, which always ends the poem. Join us if you’d like!
A(nother) Year of Reading 
Another one fights the dust… 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love that you and Tanita touched upon similar topics. I’m fascinated by dust motes in the air, so the photo and poem speak to me. Chasing dust away is a neverending task.
LikeLike
Oh, all this near rhyme is fantastic — I had to read it aloud. Lovely job! And clearly nobody’s cleaning house today 🙂
LikeLike
The internal rhymes! Wonderful, Mary Lee.
LikeLike
Love it!
LikeLike
Exactly on point, kick it far! Thanks for permission now that I know another who kicks that can down the road. Thanks, Mary Lee!
LikeLike
I’m with that “hushed” voice ignoring the “unjust,” and the unwanted dust, thanks!
LikeLike
I’m so amused that we even have similar images!!!! Let it drift, puffed away, only to be dealt with if we must. Indeed. I love how you shortened your lines and just made this so casually conversational. I like the tone you struck and your conclusions best of all.
LikeLike
Such fun to read a poem about DUST! Your Bop is a delight!
LikeLike
The sounds and musicality to this poem are AMAZING!
LikeLike
It’s comforting to know that I’m not the only one with a “dust-encrusted home”! Great job, Mary Lee!
LikeLike
Oh, my goodness…was having such a good time reading this I didn’t even realize it was a bop until starting to comment. Super bop. Dust is a problem I don’t care much about, either! Ha!
LikeLike
Mary Lee, I read your Bop poem many times since Friday and I think it is both humorous and well-developed.
LikeLike
Ah, I could sore relate to that simple puff atop the books. 😀
LikeLike
Loved it!
LikeLike
What a wonderful bop poem. I love the hushing of the “unjust voices,” in particular!
LikeLike