h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

That's a lovely poem. The Rose and the Nightingale is one of my favourite stories.

Thank you. I agree that's it is a wonderful story. It is the first time I attempted to take a fable and put it into verse.

Sort of like "Cliff Notes" for fables, a lot of imagery in a compact form. Having never read the original story, I'm left feeling as if I had. Most excellent!

I experimented with the meter on this one. It turned out fairly well. At teh time I thougth I'd use the same meter again, but so far haven't attempted it. Perhaps the inspiration for it will come along for it one of these days.

Thats the telling bit about your works, they flow with inspiration and never come across as forced.

Have you considered writing poetry yourself?

I tried years ago, but never let anyone see it. Who knows, I may give it a whirl again if the mood strikes.

You should. I'll be happy to read them. Metered - free verse - experimenmtal - if it's poetry, I enjoy reading it.

Then I'll take a shot at it. Soon. Maybe. All I need is inspiration, luck, and a topic. Oh, and talent may help as well!

With poetry, as other forms of writing, talent is subjective. I read these things that get great reviews and think, 'What garbage!' I'm sure you do the same.

Most of us will never produce anything as long and complex as a novel,but we can write a poem. It's a great medium because it lets you express things in a way that would be very difficult in prose. Plus, it doesn't take months to compose or days for the reader to digest.

Well now, that solves the inspiration part of this equation quite nicely. Thank you. I 'll start ruuning it around the noggin and see what pops out.

Autumn frost it fills the air
children playing without a care
joy and sorrow
laughter and pain
in a childs soul they all remain
but the childs heart
so stongly beating
the hurt inside so quick receding
let not our children
be forced to endure
the suffering sickness
the disease with no cure
instead let them smile
full of joy making merry
and in those small hearts
let grief there not tarry


My wife pulled that out of hiding when I told her I might try my hand at verse again. I'd written it years ago, before my heart had hardened. It was more prayer than poem, written sometime around my son's birth. Not new, but its a start I guess, and thats always the most difficult part.

What a lovely sentiment. You see what I mean about being able to express things through poetry that would be more difficult with prose? I think it's because with prose we ramble on and on, while with poetry every word counts.

One trick I use when writing a verse that rhymes is to work out the meter and rhyme scheme head of time. I'm sort of undisciplined, so it helps me stay on course. Otherwise I always wind up with lines that don't scan properly.

You said you wrote the poem when your son was born. Have you let him read it? It clearly expresses your hopes for him, as well as the worries all new parents have about the future. Well done.

Thank you Hypatia, thats very kind of you. But sentiment is all thats holding it together, and thats not enough. I think the fact that I was dabbeling in song writing at the time may have influenced it more than a little.