Friday, April 24, 2015

U is for Utility Work Ahead

This is the Ultimate, Unbelievable and Utterly Underestimated beyond belief A-to-Z April 2015 Challenge!!!!  And I am an A to Z Participant.  And it is Day 21, Letter U!

Again this year I am writing a poem a day to celebrate National Poetry Month.  It's my FOURTH YEAR in a ROW of writing a poem a day for the A to Z Challenge. My theme this year, is signs I've photographed and poems to go with them.

And If you get a chance, stop by Laura Shovin's Author Amok and read her clothing poetry by guest hosts. I hosted this past Wednesday with totus and skirts poems.



Go here to visit more unbelievable U posts!

Phew!  I did it.  I got a U poem.  And it's an A-okay double limerick for the sign above:

            (F) U T I L I TY
                WORK
               AHEAD

There once was a sign read: Utility -
It was really an act of futility;
There was no real Work,
Just made up by some clerk
So consumers would halt car mobility.

While waiting in line for the cars Ahead
The shop windows captured their gaze instead;
Seeing things they could buy,
That they used to drive by,
They decided to stay there and spend some bread.

©Donna JT Smith, 2015

There is a town nearby that did something similar with pedestrian speed bumps, slowing drivers down through town so that they would have time to "see the sights", so to speak.  I won't mention any names.

V is Very close to being here....W...X...Y...and I found my Z picture, finally.  April is almost over.  And then I will ZZzzz.

But before that happens today is also Poetry Friday!  You can find links to more things poetic if you head to Renee LaTulippe's blog, No Water River .

11 comments:

  1. Great job! Looking forward to V.

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  2. Terrific, Donna. I've never heard of the speed bump idea, guess it makes sense if one is needy. Glad you found your U!

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  3. Yay for a U poem. This one was a tough one for me too.

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  4. Oh that is fabulous, Donna! I have failed at doing a poem every day. A holiday memory every day will have to do this year.

    @CathM_Johnson from
    Catherine Johnson

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  5. Donna, how wonderful this poem is, both for message and lilting rhyme. I think limericks are so much fun to read but so tricky to write. Are you in for the online spring gallery, Spring's Symphony? (http://beyondliteracylink.blogspot.com/2015/04/listening-for-springs-symphony.html) I certainly hope so because you know that I enjoy your perspective. Your Winter Whisperings' poem was such a visual pleasure.

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  6. Stopping by from the #atozchallenge 2015! Thanks for visiting me.Congratulations on making it past the first half of the challenge.
    Great post. I'm following you on your listed social media sites.
    J @JLenniDorner

    Yeah, I've heard of places doing this. Fake construction and annoying speed bumps. Ripping up parts of the road to make more parking.

    My all time favorite of these kinds of planning ideas was in Allentown, PA. Hamilton Street, famous half a decade or so ago for the Hess's shopping (it was a famous department store). Since it closed down, the shopping in the are was on the decline. To bring people back, they took away the awnings that covered the sidewalks- protecting people from sun, rain, and snow. The result? Stores that shut down rather than pay to shovel sidewalks. Facepalm.

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  7. Excellent job. Limericks are so hard and you have handled it beautifully. the humor is so much fun.

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  8. That's a diabolical plan (getting people to slow down so they will spend money)! Okay, maybe not diabolical, but devious at least. Desperate? This double limerick appears to be drawing out my d words. :-)

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  9. U did a great job with your double-limerick-bury-the-words creation!

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  10. I love how poets find inspiration in the everyday, mundane things - transforming them into beautiful verse. Lovely.

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