Ralph Steadman
My mother is the necessity of my intention,
Making me want to do the things I should.
A sloppy boy born of sloth would she shun,
My mother. Is the necessity of my intention
That in her presence I don’t dawdle but run?
I would please her, be a pleaser if I could.
My mother is the necessity – of my intention –
Making me want. To do the things I should.
* * *
Posted at dVerse Poets Pub for Poetics, where Jilly is asking us to write adages with a twist. I misread the prompt and am now cleaning lemon juice from my keyboard.
Life in Portofino 
Great word play in the title; sets us up for what follows. You do this form well, Charley and I especially love your comment about the lemon juice 🙂
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Love how you twisted it…. and it works for me… you should be happy for a mother like that…
and you can clean the keyboard with a napkin.
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Nice twist. I guess we need the intention before we can get the invention.
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Oh, I think you hit the tale on the head.
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(laughing) Thank you!
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You twisted this into a new creation. Love it!
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Thank you!
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Great exploration of the structure and meaning. That moved us through the questions well. And of course, Steadman!!
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I love your poem Charley. Mothers really were made to be our jiminy cricket on our shoulder. Our sense of conscience is born out of her nurture!
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Very clever, and good use of punctuation to twist it even more.
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Thank you!
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A sweet tribute to sweet parenting, when a mother is no longer that voice in your head but becomes your voice in your head… well for good or ill, but this seems for good. I think I will call my mother right now. (She’s sleeping though)
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I like the optimist in you. Hope you waited until she was awake before you called. Guilt is just another of the services a mother provides. 🙂
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My mother is the necessity of my intention, – very twisted!
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🙂 Thank you!
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Great wordplay and twisted adage, Charley – my favourite, I think!
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Aw, thank you! I’ve gotten some interesting feedback on it. Glad you like it.
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This is great, and what a clever title! Wow!
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Thank you! It’s for all those who have had … ahem … a special relationship with their Mum.
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😀
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Nice twist on an old adage…well done
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Thank you! Glad you came by to read.
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Suffocating
Freeing
Suffocating
Freeing
Love..;)
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Now YOU get what I was writing about! Thank you.
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SMiLes can
Relate..:)
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Great work with the word(s) in the title. Nice work with the adage all the way through. Hah! Lemon juice indeed…..if life gives you lemons, just give ’em a squeeze! 🙂
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Thank you! If life hands you lemons, make lemonade. If life hands you manure… um, don’t try to make anything out of it. Trust me on this one. (From a birthday greeting card I was given.)
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Wordplay within wordplay, twisting a familiar adage into so many marvelous novel forms. Awesome!
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Thank you, Frank! I apologize for the delayed response.
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