Lie, lay, lain, laid, lied
Posted on | February 3, 2010 | 1 Comment
Beset for years by the popular destruction of English grammar (”lie and lay” being the bete noire) and dumbfounded by the sorry saga of John Edwards’ scandalous behavior, I wrote this little poem that speaks from my quirky wordplay side. I am not sure which is less susceptible to improvement — our grammar or our public morals — but it’s always worth a try.
Lie, lay, lain, laid, lied
For grammarians and scandalizers
He lies who says he never lies
where faithful men have never lain,
For he laid down his flowery words
when she lay down in conjugation’s loss.
Now, woman, lie in loss,
lay up some dreams for compensation.
Think not he lied to you,
for he has never lied to those with whom he’s lain.
Or did he lie when she was laid?
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About William J. Everett
In my teaching career I authored eight books and numerous articles in social ethics and religion. After over thirty years of academic work — in Germany, India, and South Africa as well as in the United States — I wanted to turn my hand to a poetically written novel to probe the issues of ecological and human reconciliation.
When I am not writing, I create furniture for worship settings. For more about my work, go to www.WisdomsTable.net, where you will also find galleries of artwork by my wife Sylvia, whose ancestors were the original inspiration for Red Clay, Blood River. Click to read my complete bio...
About Red Clay Blood River
Red Clay, Blood River
is a story told by Earth about two brothers from Germany and an enslaved
South African woman whose lives bind together America’s “Trail of
Tears” and South Africa’s simultaneous “Great Trek” of 1838.
Memories of their journeys through oppression, estrangement and reconciliation
reverberate in the lives of three contemporary students brought together
by their interests in ecology. Through their often difficult friendship
and a surprising discovery they begin to unravel the mystery of their
estrangements, struggles, and deep connections to each other and to
the earth.
Click to read more...
February 11th, 2010 @ 1:22 pm
Oh, this is good! I stopped by to see what’s new and to let you know that I’m going to add you to my blogroll on my new blog. Hope you are surviving all the storms.