I've always liked this, reptuted to have been recited during Scotts Polar Expeditions.
If you can say it fast then you're a better man than me
The Sleeping bag
On the outside grows the furside, on the inside grows the skinside;
So the furside is the outside, and the skinside is the inside.
As the skinside is the inside and the furside is the outside;
One Side likes the skinside inside, and the furside on the outside.
Others like the skinside outside and the furside on the inside;
As the skinside is the hardside and the furside is the soft side.
If you turn the SKINSIDE outside, thinking you will side with THAT side,
then the soft side, furside's inside, which some argue is the wrong side.
If you turn the FURSIDE outside, as you say it GROWS on that side,
then your outside's next to the skinside, which for comfort's not the right side.
For the skinside is the cold side, and your outside's not your warm side,
and two cold sides coming side-by-side are not right sides one Side decides.
If you decide to side with THAT Side, turn the outside, furside inside;
Then the hard side, cold side, skinside's, beyond all question, INSIDE-OUTSIDE’.
Freckle's poem about her daughter and their fight for her life has made me think of this by Suzanne Vega. It is actually about an attempted suicide (sorry guys) but I think it is a beautiful intimation of a person's love for another being (there are some gorgeous strings on it too).
50-50 Chance
50-50 chance
The doctor said
In the cardiac room
As she's lying in bed
There's a pan on the floor
Filled with something black
I need to know
I'm afraid to ask
I hug you
I hum to you
I've come to you
I touch you
I tell you
I love you
I sing to you
Bring to you
Anything
Her little heart
It beats so fast
Her body trembles
With the effort to last
I hug you
I hum to you
I've come to you
I touch you
I tell you
I love you
I sing to you
Bring to you
Anything
She's going home
Tomorrow at ten
The question is
Will she try it again?
Suzanne Vega
It has just gone mignight. This thread is officially 1 month old!
What a month it has been. Great contributions and choices everyone.
HHH
It's been a revelation to me. I wasn't into poetry before and had never really written anything at all![]()
Poacher turned game-keeper