Double Dactyls

In my stumblings across the ocean of information today, I came across a new form of poetry I'd not yet heard of.

I speak to you of the "Double Dactyls"

It goes like this:

Two stanzas, each comprising three lines of dactylic dimeter followed by a line with a dactyl and a single accent. The two stanzas have to rhyme on their last line. The first line of the first stanza is repetitive nonsense. The second line of the first stanza is somebody's name -- strictly speaking, a proper noun. Note that this name must itself be double-dactylic. E.g. Gloria Vanderbilt, Jesus of Nazareth, Gilbert and Sullivan, Archangel Gabriel. In the second stanza, one entire line must be a double-dactylic word. E.g. biopsychology, geopolitical, gastrointestinal, abecedarian, etc. etc.


Yeah! I tried writing one, it kicked my ass. However, here are a few I liked...


Twilight's Last Gleaming

Higgeldy piggeldy,
President Jefferson
Gave up the ghost on the
Fourth of July.

So did John Adams, which
Shows that such patriots
Propagandistically
Know how to die.


Tact

"Patty cake, patty cake,
Marcus Antonius,
What do you think of the
African queen?"

"Gubernatorial
Duties require my
Presence in Egypt. Ya
Know what I mean?"

-Paul Pascal


Divide and Rule

(circa 1992)

Havelly pavelly,
Czechoslovakia's
Federal president
Finally quit.

Now they'll be joining the
Geopolitical
Global community,
Lickety split.

-Alex Chaffee

Dysfunctional Society

Unabom Unabomb
Teddy the terrorist (or, "Unabom Theodore")
Cut himself off from his
Country and kin.

Now he's the star of the
National media:
Antifraternally,
Kin turned him in.

-Alex Chaffee


Well, that's that. Who knew it would be so hard to take flight with a pair of dactyls?