The Mighty O [with manifold apologies for cultural parochialism]
Clementine, without her O,
A darlin’ still, but just so-so.
Susanna too, my kneed banjo
Is oddly bare without her O.
“…Holy Night,” devoid of O,
Misses the magic of mistletoe.
Say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light?
No O & our anthem just doesn’t sound right.
Happily, gone is the hangman’s noose,
But what about keeping duck-duck goose?
A cartoon character caught in surprise
Would look oddly bare without “O” eyes.
Grandpa blows a ring of smoke;
Effervescence in diet Coke.
Jackie B.K., with all her dough,
Is somehow demoted without her O.
The saints and the angels protecting their brood
Without their halos are nearly nude.
My state would be “hi,” minus its O’s,
And what about doughnuts & Cheerios?
The O is the worst on a history test,
But of all life’s pleasures, the big O is best.
Matching jets do loop-de-loops,
Sisters twirl in hula hoops.
Wheels and tires on rolling things,
Solar eclipses and Saturn’s rings.
Life preservers on sailing boats,
Button holes on winter coats.
A policeman uses manacles,
Myopic folks wear spectacles.
Ribbons ‘round a Maypole girdle.
Lasses lace a lovely circle.
Ripples make Os; bubbles rise,
Schoolgirls’ dots over lower case I’s.
A yoga’s chant might only be mmmm,
Singers (mouths-closed) could only hum.
The friend of “…kay,” but X’s foe
When circling to win in tic-tac-toe.
Darts need targets; putt-putt: goals.
But do avoid the pinball’s holes.
Necklaces & Slinkies’ coils
Os show up when water boils.
Hoops for lions, lobes, and skirts,
Collars sewn for tailored shirts.
The iris brown, the iris blue,
Without them, what would pupils do?
Ringlets, wreaths, and rubber bands,
Boas, bracelets, wedding bands.
A royal crown, Aloha’s lei,
Nothing. Never. Nil and nay.
Zilch and zero, zap & zip.
Vacant, void, & null & nix.
The mate of “X” to end a letter,
A kiss with a hug is so much better.
In Honor of my Only Twins: xo
Victoria Elizabeth Wells Wulsin
November 12, 2017
Los Angeles
VicWulsin 