http://www.wordnik.com/lists/poetrie-beginner-s-lessons.xml by Malcolm Alexander <br /> <br />If you wish to be <a href="/words/wealthy">wealthy</a>, <a href="/words/duck">duck</a> beneath <br />the <a href="/words/topcoat">topcoat</a> of a well-dressed <a href="/words/river">river</a> <br />until you come up with a <a href="/words/mossy boot">mossy boot</a> <br />filled with <a href="/words/shiner">shiner</a>s. <a href="/words/Spend">Spend</a> them wisely. <br /> <br />To <a href="/words/tread lightly">tread lightly</a> on the earth, <br />first <a href="/words/breathe">breathe</a> in and out slowly <br />to <a href="/words/sense">sense</a> how <a href="/words/oxygen">oxygen</a> walks <a href="/words/barefoot">barefoot</a>, <br />then <a href="/words/observe">observe</a> <a href="/words/butterflies">butterflies</a>, so <a href="/words/weightless">weightless</a> <br />even our poetry <a href="/words/burdens">burdens</a> them. <br /> <br />Avoid <a href="/words/mistaking">mistaking</a> <a href="/words/sadness">sadness</a> for <a href="/words/blueberries">blueberries</a>, <br />but if this happens <a href="/words/remember">remember</a> only one <br />of the two tastes like a <a href="/words/somersault">somersault</a>. <br /> <br />Make nothing more of the <a href="/words/moon">moon</a> <br />than what it is, a <a href="/words/great big pebble">great big pebble</a> <br />hunting for a <a href="/words/shoe">shoe</a>, not to be <a href="/words/confused">confused</a> <br />with the <a href="/words/heart">heart</a>, likewise a <a href="/words/vagabond">vagabond</a>. <br /> <br />Inside of every <a href="/words/stray cat">stray cat</a> <a href="/words/lurks">lurks</a> a person <br />who <a href="/words/discarded">discarded</a> <a href="/words/love">love</a>. Remember this <br />when you bend over to wind them up. <br /> <br />If you feel <a href="/words/compelled">compelled</a> to <a href="/words/fly">fly</a> a flag, <br />note how it <a href="/words/struggles">struggles</a> in vain to be a <a href="/words/rainbow">rainbow</a> <br />and how envy will make it <a href="/words/twist">twist</a> and flap <br />like a <a href="/words/tongue">tongue</a>. Consider instead a kite. <br /> <br />If you <a href="/words/desire">desire</a> to reach <a href="/words/heaven">heaven</a>, <br />have your body <a href="/words/buried">buried</a> in an <a href="/words/aspen grove">aspen grove</a>. <br />In time, all of you will <a href="/words/wick up">wick up</a> <br />into a <a href="/words/loud">loud</a> version of it. <br /> <br />If the <a href="/words/din">din</a> of the human world <a href="/words/overwhelms">overwhelms</a> you, <br /><a href="/words/trace">trace</a> the <a href="/words/voicebox">voicebox</a> of an <a href="/words/orchid">orchid</a> with your finger. <br />When you get to the <a href="/words/aria">aria</a>, <a href="/words/listen">listen</a>. <br />But <a href="/words/beware">beware</a>, for beauty can be a <a href="/words/lacewing">lacewing</a> <br />or a <a href="/words/meteor">meteor</a>, and lands wherever it pleases. <br /> <br />When you finish reading a <a href="/words/poem">poem</a>, <br /><a href="/words/bend it">bend it</a> around so you can see <br />yourself in it. Then <a href="/words/laugh out loud">laugh out loud</a>. <br />Everything else now should come <a href="/words/easy">easy</a>. http://www.wordnik.com http://www.wordnik.com/words/wealthy Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:43:39 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/wealthy http://www.wordnik.com/words/duck Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:43:33 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/duck http://www.wordnik.com/words/topcoat Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:43:30 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/topcoat http://www.wordnik.com/words/river Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:43:25 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/river http://www.wordnik.com/words/mossy boot Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:42:59 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/mossy boot http://www.wordnik.com/words/shiners Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:42:53 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/shiners http://www.wordnik.com/words/spend Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:42:50 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/spend http://www.wordnik.com/words/tread lightly Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:42:39 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/tread lightly http://www.wordnik.com/words/breathe Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:42:29 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/breathe http://www.wordnik.com/words/sense Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:42:25 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/sense http://www.wordnik.com/words/oxygen Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:42:21 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/oxygen http://www.wordnik.com/words/barefoot Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:42:09 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/barefoot http://www.wordnik.com/words/observe Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:42:05 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/observe http://www.wordnik.com/words/butterflies Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:42:01 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/butterflies http://www.wordnik.com/words/weightless Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:41:48 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/weightless http://www.wordnik.com/words/burdens Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:41:42 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/burdens http://www.wordnik.com/words/mistaking Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:41:22 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/mistaking http://www.wordnik.com/words/sadness Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:41:17 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/sadness http://www.wordnik.com/words/blueberries Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:41:09 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/blueberries http://www.wordnik.com/words/remember Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:41:05 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/remember http://www.wordnik.com/words/somersault Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:41:02 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/somersault http://www.wordnik.com/words/moon Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:40:48 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/moon http://www.wordnik.com/words/great big pebble Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:40:46 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/great big pebble http://www.wordnik.com/words/shoe Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:40:33 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/shoe http://www.wordnik.com/words/confused Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:40:30 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/confused http://www.wordnik.com/words/heart Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:40:27 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/heart http://www.wordnik.com/words/vagabond Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:40:24 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/vagabond http://www.wordnik.com/words/stray cat Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:40:16 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/stray cat http://www.wordnik.com/words/lurks Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:40:11 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/lurks http://www.wordnik.com/words/discarded Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:40:07 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/discarded http://www.wordnik.com/words/love Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:40:02 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/love http://www.wordnik.com/words/compelled Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:39:50 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/compelled http://www.wordnik.com/words/fly Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:39:47 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/fly http://www.wordnik.com/words/struggles Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:39:45 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/struggles http://www.wordnik.com/words/rainbow Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:39:42 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/rainbow http://www.wordnik.com/words/twist Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:39:38 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/twist http://www.wordnik.com/words/tongue Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:39:36 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/tongue http://www.wordnik.com/words/desire Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:39:31 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/desire http://www.wordnik.com/words/heaven Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:39:28 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/heaven http://www.wordnik.com/words/buried Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:39:25 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/buried http://www.wordnik.com/words/aspen grove Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:39:21 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/aspen grove http://www.wordnik.com/words/wick up Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:39:17 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/wick up http://www.wordnik.com/words/loud Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:39:14 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/loud http://www.wordnik.com/words/din Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:39:08 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/din http://www.wordnik.com/words/overwhelms Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:39:06 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/overwhelms http://www.wordnik.com/words/trace Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:39:00 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/trace http://www.wordnik.com/words/voicebox Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:38:57 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/voicebox http://www.wordnik.com/words/orchid Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:38:54 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/orchid http://www.wordnik.com/words/aria Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:38:50 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/aria http://www.wordnik.com/words/listen Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:38:48 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/listen http://www.wordnik.com/words/beware Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:38:46 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/beware http://www.wordnik.com/words/lacewing Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:38:43 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/lacewing http://www.wordnik.com/words/meteor Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:38:39 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/meteor http://www.wordnik.com/words/poem Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:38:36 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/poem http://www.wordnik.com/words/bend it Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:38:33 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/bend it http://www.wordnik.com/words/laugh out loud Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:38:27 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/laugh out loud http://www.wordnik.com/words/easy Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:38:11 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/easy