Today, our prompt is to write a poem that incorporates overheard speech. Somewhere in an old writing notebook, I find the scrap of conversation I heard years ago, before Youtube existed. This is a young man being told by a slightly older, and rather vehement man what he should do to get on in life:
There are all these types of peas, see,
and you know it’s so hard to choose between
Petit Pois, Mangeteout, Everyday Value,
Baby Sweet, Steamfresh, Marrowfat,
Pigeon Peas, Pease Pudding, Chick Peas.
In all that crowd of tiny green seeds,
what stands out?
You gotta market yourelf.
If you wake up at four in the morning
and think to yourself, “Hey! Why am I
not having a great month?”, you gotta
think: I gotta contact people gotta get moving,
gotta put myelf out there gotta be fresh
gotta think about my brand. The Declan brand.
Your brand is you, and if they buy your brand
It means they’ll hire you, they’ll like you, be your fans.
There’s lots of options you could pursue. Truth?
We all want to shine, but only a few achieve real fame
and branding is the neon in your name.
So – ask yourself – what kind of pea are YOU?
Outwardly Respectable 