Monday, August 1, 2011

Standing Ovation



SUNDAY SCRIBBLINGS
asks us to muse on Standing Ovations.

STANDING OVATION

Have you been in this situation?
Someone receives a standing ovation.
They've completed an aria (for this read 'dirge')
And the whole audience has the urge
To jump to its feet and shout 'Bravo!',
Very, very 'Con Brio.'
'Wasn't that thrilling!' they say en masse.
But you, being lower class and crass,
Have found the whole thing rather dreary.
Culture has made you utterly weary.
You've sat through the thing just being polite,
Wishing it were more melodic and bright.
You're really relieved it's over and done.
But the evening's battle isn't won
Because as 'Encore!' is repeated,
You find you're the only person seated!
You glance around. Yes, there they are
Still cheering on the blushing star.
This is a dilemma; what do you do
When you find the odd man out is you?
You probably do what I have done....
You dare not be the alternate one.
You're not brave enough to be sincere;
You slowly rise and shout 'Hear hear!'
Shame 'doth make cowards of us all.'
*
Now it's standing ovation wall to wall.
*

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Not my house!

UNTIDY!

I yearn to be sorted and tidy;
But I haven't achieved it yet!
The surface is fine
But those cupboards of mine
Are something I'd rather forget!
*
I dash round the house like a whirlwind
Just shoving things out of the way!
'Out of sight, out of mind'
Is a maxim I find
Describes me at the start of each day.
*
If visitors call I impress them
With a house that looks shiny and clean
But it's all a facade!
And if they looked hard
They'd see just a table-top sheen!
*
The towels always fall in a muddle
When I'm pulling the bottom one free!
And how did that vase
Muddle-up with jam-jars?
And that isn't the spot for my key!
*
Hypocrisy rules in my household
It just isn't tidy like yours!
I must be explicit....
I'm pleased if you visit
But don't open-up any drawers!
*

4 comments:

Christine said...

But its so much fun opening up drawers :)

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

at times, yes, no need to know what's inside the drawers,

lovely take on the prompt.

J Cosmo Newbery said...

Too true. Standing ovations no longer mean anything. I have sat resolutely though some though when suitably annoyed by the performance.

scape said...

perfectly said. The standing ovations are so 'required'... What tells me the truth is whether there is a moment of silence.