Analysis of DIGGING MYSELF IN A HOLE

John Townsend 1945 (Loughborough)



How was I to know
such a small task
like digging a hole
could be a nightmare
too behold,
that you could drift
could let yourself get carried away
you see it went so well
I dug all night into the next day,
created a marvellous hole
a whole lot of mess
but it was taking shape
whatever it was.
There was a slight hitch
the hole was very deep
try as I might
I could not climb out,
so I called for help
but my wife had gone to bed.
Then it started to rain
the hole was filling in
becoming an awful watery mess
had to get out of the fix
I am in.
It poured so hard
I tried and I tried
to climb out
but each time I did
I just slipped down into the sludge
tired and exhausted
wishing that I
was also in bed.
Then I awoke my hands soaking wet
it was just a dream
though I haven't looked out of the window
yet!
My wife called from downstairs
'Why have you left your muddy shoes here?'
Oh! Oh! Oh!
as I rubbed my eyes
then I thought with dread
as I hastily climbed
out of bed,
looking with a shocked gawk
my mouth in lockjaw
at a bed smeared with mud
my clothes were caked as well.
It was no dream
that digging a hole
that is where I had been
all night long.
Now get out of this one
I thought in my head
as it's all coming back
with absolute dread.
Then from downstairs
my wife called aloud
'What a surprise
you have created my pond
how very nice.'


Scheme Text too long
Poetic Form
Metre 11111 1011 11001 1101 101 1111 110111001 111111 111101011 010011 01111 111101 1011 11011 011101 1111 11111 11111 1111111 111011 011100 0101101001 1111101 110 1111 11011 111 11111 11110101 100010 1011 11001 110111101 11101 1110111010 1 111111 111111011 111 11111 11111 111001 111 101011 1101 101111 110111 1111 11001 111111 111 111111 11011 111101 1101 1111 11101 1001 1101011 1101
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 1,337
Words 294
Sentences 14
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 60
Lines Amount 60
Letters per line (avg) 17
Words per line (avg) 5
Letters per stanza (avg) 1,036
Words per stanza (avg) 279

About this poem

A humorous look at someone sleepwalking.

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Written on October 12, 2022

Submitted by Nolostalgia on October 12, 2022

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:28 min read
51

John Townsend

It has become habitual for me to play with words, even as I converse, I hear a poetic annoyance ready to pop out when quite honestly, no one would understand. Perhaps I have the advantage of seeing the streetlamps turned off by a man with a long pole, that I saw The Beatles on stage twice. That I conversed with Spike Milligan and touted my songs among the throng of Denmark Street in London. Well 1945 began this is me, still around, looking forward to The Bootleg Beatles in 2022. more…

All John Townsend poems | John Townsend Books

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