War Breaks Out in the Playground

Ha! Nice one. Love the casual tone which still adheres to a pretty strict form (rhyme/meter.) And the closing couplet takes the whole thing to another level.

Dear Sozobe,

Many thanks. Is it pathetic to be so thrilled by such a simple gesture?

You've made this grey English Saturday very sunny!

Welcome, mr trips!

There are many people on this forum who have a much better understanding of poetry than I; still, I love to read it, feel the rhythms and the impact of the message.

I was startled by the last paragraph. As Sozobe said, it took the poem to another level. It sounds like boys will be boys and fight each other even after yet another world war. Are you sure one of those boys wasn't named George?

You captured the reasoning and inevitability of fighting among little boys. Too bad it doesn't stop after they reach a certain age.

BTW, I really enjoyed your poem. My first post was so wordy that I forgot to put in the most important part.

Many thanks
I am delighted that you enjoyed this little piece. It's always been a source of curiosity to me the way good people such as yourself react to different styles of writing. What I've discovered is that folk simply love to be entertained. I'm not particularly good at it, but it has shown me that poems often communicate more when they are overtly less serious or self-indulgent and more indirect. Children are merciless judges and I wrote this one for a class of 13 year old schoolboys a few years ago (their challenge - not just insane vanity!).

What they said about it after I'd acted it out is unprintable.

In the end, human nature is a hard subject to pick on and write about without sounding like an amateur politician or an inept sociologist. But 'man' nature is something I do know about - being one meself - so I felt that I was on more familiar territory. The sting in the tale was meant exactly as you perceived. I feel sorry that countries are, in fact, not like schoolboys who generally mean well and know when to stop. And bullies are supposed to grow up to be well-adjusted partners and trustworthy friends. Recent events prove the contrary when it comes to nation states such as my own.

Sorry to waffle, but once again, thanks.

Jon Lishman,
England.

Yes, now I understand why none of them was named George. They did know when to end and to do it with good nature.
I love kids of that age, both boys and girls. There is a naivete combined with their almost utter awfulness that is irresistible.
Please tell what they said. Noone here will mind a few bad words or obscene references, especially as related by thirteen year old boys.