Poet Laureate - Ogden Nash (at least he should be)

With all of the prior tributes to writers of noble poetry, full of emotion, full of meaning, I wanted to take the opportunity to point out that poetry can also be fun. As noted in a prior comment, I have always enjoyed a good limerick (and, noting the history of the limerick, a "good limerick" is not necessarily a "good" limerick). I will make a confession here that will appall and dismay my more high-browed wife and daughters: my favorite writer of "poetry" is, and always has been, Ogden Nash.

The following are a few of his offerings, leading with one which is a mainstay in our household:

Celery
by Ogden Nash

Celery, raw
Develops the jaw,
But celery stewed,
Is more quietly chewed.

The Cow
by Ogden Nash

The cow is of the bovine ilk;
One end is moo, the other, milk

The Termite
by Ogden Nash

Some primal termite knocked on wood
And tasted it, and found it good!
And that is why your Cousin May
Fell through the parlor floor today

The Purist
by Ogden Nash

I give you now Professor Twist,
A conscientious scientist,
Trustees exclaimed, "He never bungles!"
And sent him off to distant jungles.
Camped on a tropic riverside,
One day he missed his loving bride.
She had, the guide informed him later,
Been eaten by an alligator.
Professor Twist could not but smile.
"You mean," he said, "a crocodile."

and lastly,

What's the use?
by Ogden Nash

Sure, deck your limbs in pants,
Yours are the limbs, my sweeting.
You look divine as you advance . . .
Have you seen yourself retreating?

In a nod to Darkside, poetry does not have to be deep, meaningful, and long. Sometimes, it is simply there to entertain.