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Wednesday, January 11, 2012

For Real Toads: by any other name

I missed yesterday's Open Link Monday with the writers' group, Imaginary Garden with Real Toads, but today's challenge is to write an unusual poem about flowers, trying to avoid clichés.
Here are the definitions Kerry provided, along with the origin of the word cliché. I love it, fitting in as it does with my typographical background. Jinksy, for one, will understand why I couldn't resist.


Cliché is defined by the Merriam-Webster On-line Dictionary as

(1)  a trite phrase or expression; also: the idea expressed by it
(2)  a hackneyed theme, characterization, or situation
(3)  something that has become overly familiar or commonplace


Origin of the word:

Cliché is borrowed from French. In printing, a cliché was a printing plate cast from movable type. This is also called a stereotype. When letters were set one at a time, it made sense to cast a phrase used repeatedly as a single slug of metal. "Cliché" came to mean such a ready-made phrase. 


Here, then, is my tongue-in-cheek response to the prompt. It isn't perfect...


but come ye back, when summer's in the meadow...



The flower of one’s youth
is fresh as a daisy
but when you’ve gone to seed
you’re pushing up daisies.
*
All the flowers of tomorrow
are in the seeds of yesterday,
and friends are flowers
in the garden of life.
*
A babe in the woods
is as delicate as a flower
while the bee from her bonnet
is beating around the bush.

*
A weed is no more
than a flower in disguise,
and painting the lily
turns over a new leaf.
*
I’m looking over
a four-leaf clover.
*
In God’s green acre,
oaks from acorns grow.
*
The last straw is flower power,
like a hothouse flower.
*
The last rose of summer
is a rose by any other name.
*
It is cut and dried, flower child,
every rose has its thorn.
*
Bloom where you are planted.
Welcome to my garden.



10 comments:

Kerry O'Connor said...

I see the prompt has stirred up many cliched phrases, Kay. Well done in putting them all together in a most entertaining way.

Daydreamertoo said...

A very light and happy read. It took my mind off how cold it is today! :)

Maude Lynn said...

Oh, this made me grin!

Jenn Jilks said...

This is so much fun! What a great idea.

Thanks for visiting!

Mary Ann Potter said...

Giggle, giggle --- loved it, Kay! What fun tiptoeing through the tulips. 8-)

Margaret said...

like: Bloom where you are planted.

This was fun.

Susie Clevenger said...

Love this....cliche used cleverly :)

Francisca said...

You blow me away, Kay. LOL!

Grace said...

"A weed is no more
than a flower in disguise,
and painting the lily
turns over a new leaf."

I really like this ~

Jinksy said...

You know me well, blogpal! I especially love

"The last rose of summer
is a rose by any other name"

as I feel like a bit of a last rose myself! Hehehe!