Thursday, March 12, 2026

How To Avoid Mixing Your Metaphors (#poem)

How to Avoid Mixing Your Metaphors

It's not rocket surgery.
First, get all your ducks on the same page.
After all, you can't make an omelette
without breaking stride.
 
Be sure to watch what you write
with a fine-tuned comb.
Check and re-check until the cows turn blue.
It's as easy as falling off a cake.
 
Don't worry about opening up
a whole hill of beans:
you can burn that bridge when you come to it,
if you follow where I'm coming from.
 
Concentrate! Keep your door closed
and your enemies closer.
Finally, don't take the moral high horse:
if the metaphor fits, walk a mile in it.
 
-Brian Bilston
 
I just came across this as 3 Quarks Daily, a cultural aggregator site, which among other things does a new poem daily. It definitely caught my eye, or ear, or something.
 
Brian Bilston is a pseudonym for Paul Millicheap, a British poet with several books out, but who generally releases his new poetry at that place formerly known as Twitter. As the photo suggests he prefers his privacy. Totally new to me, but I'll be keeping my eye out for more.
 
Is it really that easy to fall off a cake? Sounds difficult to me... 😉 

4 comments:

  1. I wouldn't mind falling into cake! ;D This is hilarious. I love it.

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    1. Falling into cake sounds much better than falling off!

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  2. I've just requested his book on writing poetry on NetGalley - I hope he tells us how to fall from a cake safely :-D

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    1. Hope you get it! I'll keep an eye out for the review. ;-)

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