Bad Epitaphs

“The afternoon you left

Sunlight embraced rain.

A rainbow was born,”

I wrote on the door

Of your new home,

Father, as I left you here

At Mountainview—

An homage to you,

And a display

Of my budding poetic skills.

How was I to know

That I would start

A ten-year trend

Of bad poetry?

Now when I visit,

Your neighbors have poetry

All over their walls,

In clear imitation of you.

And not to speak ill

Of the dead, but

They are just horrible.

I mean, I’m not looking

For rhyme schemes, but

There’s no imagery,

No metaphors,

No music, and too much

Information (TMI!).

Still, I guess

Bad poetry is better

Than no poetry

At all.