Phobias

[hillwalker]

Just a little fun - an example of 'rich rhyme' so I'm reliably informed:

Phobias

Phobias come in many guises,
most leave a mark like hidden bruises:

the fear of open space(1), or height(2),
that cursed sum of five plus eight(3),

the fear of snakes(4), of fire(5) and flood(6)
could put you in a dismal mood

or meningitis(7), drink(8) and food(9)
enough to chill somebody’s blood.

Anxiety brought on by wind(10)
can play cruel tricks on someone’s mind

and drive them to the doctor’s couch.
The terror of the spider(11)’s touch

and beards(12) as worn by Brian Bless-ed
alarm more than you might have guessed.

My phobia’s hardly worth your time –
the knees go weak when words won’t rhyme…


1 agoraphobia
2 acrophobia
3 triskaidekaphobia
4 ophiophobia
5 pyrophobia
6 anthophobia
7 meningitophobia
8 potophobia
9 cipophobia
10 ancraophobia
11 arachnophobia
12 pogonophobia

H

[Charles Darnay]

you're right, that was fun.

[Haunted]

Hill, you got me worried for a second.. They are visual rhymes, they are nice to read and look at, I think it's great!

[zoolane]

Great fun little poem with words to match or suppose to point poetry by numbers?

[Delta40]

That was fun and could have been turned into a puzzle at the end. Link the phobias to their correct numbers....(there is no named phobia for fear of puzzles)

You haven't lost your touch.

[Lykren]

Cute ending.

[DieterM]

And me who thought these were 'eye rhymes' rather than rich rhymes... But to be honest, I didn't think much, wikipedia did the thinking for me ;:)) anyway, glad to see you're back and your wit hasn't left you. Plus, I'm really amazed by what the English language allows you to do in order to create a rhyming scheme - in French (and even more so in German), it would be unthinkable to rhyme 'flood' and 'mood' and still call it a rhyme. So not only did I enjoy the read, but I learned something as well.

[hillwalker]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for your responses. On checking these are indeed better classified as 'eye rhymes' so thanks DieterM for pointing this out.

The whole point is, of course, that none of the lines rhyme except the last two. But one can always read this out loud and force each couplet to rhyme (there's nothing worse than being in a 'dismal mud').

H

[Hawkman]

Highly entertaining and witty. Very much enjoyed. Good to read you again.

Live and be well - H

[hillwalker]

Thanks Hawk,

H

[Jack of Hearts]

Amusing!






J

[aliengirl]

Very ingenious and entertaining. The last two lines are the best!

[Jerrybaldy]

Aaaaah.. sincerest welcome back Knobbly knees. Eye rhymes are new to me too. What a messed up language we speak. Its all Greek to me :D You commented on my first post and watching your choices and insight as a critic and your own poems, I would vote you in my time here, THE most important and welcome member of this rare and unread club.