THE CLICHHOUNDS Heard afar a hoarse hullaballoo of harriers tongue-lolling, straining at the leash, eager for the chase: the clichhounds gather. Allow me, if you please, a modest morsel of clichI am replete from an esoteric gourmet feast of exquisite exotic verbiage served on precious platters of cunning design and intricate verbal decoration. Allow me, if you please, a common slice of bread. Permit me, if you please, a little piece of commonplace. I am lost among the peerless lofty peaks of high pretentious imagery fearful above the deep dark metaphoric chasms and the treacherous sloughs of similes Permit me, if you please, to tread familiar ways. Sanction, if you please, a well-known phrase or two I am confused by untranslatable utterances and outre flights of wordy fancy reversed, imploded, combined and recombined meaning obscured and ever out of reach. Sanction, if you please, some plain and simple words. Let me, if you please, communicate direct I am trapped In the convoluted, involuted multi-clausal maze of mangled structures, obfuscation and dilletante punctuation and inaccurate spelling to boot. Let me, if you please, make common cause with common men. Heard closer the hollow sounds of hunting hounds, jaws a-drool, eyes wild in the search. In the ultimate literary critical thrill The clichhounds close in for the kill.

Oops, my bad habit of reading threads starting from the bottom not even looking at the title of the first ones... I didn't notice that you had posted the poem too. I was wondering why you said you had written it and were not going to share it. I'm not the one that can criticize the form of a poem, I'm not a poet, and not even an English speaker. I can only say if I like or not... and I like, maybe because I agree with what you say... I'm not sure that can be applied to the clichthing. I noticed that the ones looking for the 'deep dark metaphoric chasm' are the ones more prone to fall into clichimages, but of course they'd never admit this... If you've read my answer on the thread below, the seagulls-poets were all very refined and elaborate... I particularly like the second stanza, with the food comparation, and the close with the slice of bread...

Hmm, cliche hounds, what a wonderful image. I can almost picture them in traditional hunt style, gathering to the masters horn. Of course, I'm sure, somewhere in the background there must be a master 'poet' for them to fawn all over, they are, after all dogs! Shanna :-)

I can see them slavering now. In my own tight little cliche'd way... may I say.. Bravo!

Gives standing ovation! I didn't know you were in the U.K. until I read the last thread, but it really comes out in this poem. The wording and the droll tone just ooze British sensibilities. (I mean this with the utmost respect, btw.) I really enjoyed the poem. Thanks for a good, well-written chuckle.

Thank you all kindly for the very complimentary comments. They are all very much appreciated!