Analysis of Shirley L, the good neighbour



Lived two doors west
Of my parents. Regent Street.
Near Gibbons Park.
Widowed long.
Always a sweet word to us.
Sign in the window
For Neighbourhood Watch.
Husband Chester gone.

Remembering one summer’s day.
Dad and I re-shingling
Garage roof.
Dirty old saggy jeans
And shirts.
Bum cracks showing
Sheesh!
Shirl never said a word
To embarrass.
Just kept talking.
Dad and I took note
Later, laughing unto tears.

On a visit in later years
She invited me
Inside, lovely flowers
Photos of Ches.
And Church photo
Showing Rector
Doug Leighton, with Shirley et. al.
Surprise there,
Doug sang with me in
Anglican Church Choir.

Nice level headed guy
Clear baritone voice.
Sat beside me.
Married Elizabeth.
In the choir as well.
Shirley had only good stuff to say
About Doug
His messages.
Got her out of the house.
Weekly.

Shirley Lyons, departed by now.
Singing up Yonder.
Re-united with Ches.
Slim, silver haired, arms folded.
And other saints attending.


Scheme XXAXBCXX DAXXXEXXBEXX XFXGCHXXXH XXFXXDXXXF XHGXE
Poetic Form Tetractys  (36%)
Metre 1111 1110101 1101 101 101111 10010 111 10101 01001101 10111 011 10111 01 1110 1 110101 1010 1110 10111 1010101 10100101 10101 011010 111 011 1010 11011011 011 11110 100110 110101 1101 1011 100100 001011 101101111 011 1100 101101 10 101001011 10110 101011 1101110 0101010
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 954
Words 196
Sentences 30
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 8, 12, 10, 10, 5
Lines Amount 45
Letters per line (avg) 17
Words per line (avg) 4
Letters per stanza (avg) 149
Words per stanza (avg) 32
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Written on March 29, 2023

Submitted by dougb.19255 on March 29, 2023

Modified by dougb.19255 on April 02, 2023

58 sec read
15

Wayne Blair

Born in London. Graduated law 1976 Practised eleven years, Married Hilary 1974 Two kids Lauren 1980 And Jordan 1987. Business failed 1987. Moved not knowing whither. Happy hills of Waterloo Region. Mennonite Country. Thirty four years in Industry. No complaints. Poet, photographer, nature hiker. Harmonica busker. http://puffnchord7.blogspot.com/ more…

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