Three Triolets based on Sayings by Mae West
Drift
I used to be Snow
White, but I drifted.
—Mae
West
I used to be Snow White, but then I drifted.
And don't we all? I fell. I felt my way,
however good I thought I was, how gifted
I used to be. Snow-white. But then I drifted,
and as the angle of my vision shifted,
the dark and light turned ninety shades of gray.
I used to be snow-white. But then I drifted
(and don't we all). I fell. I felt my way.
Carpe Diem
You only live once, but if you do it
right, once is enough.
—Mae West
You only live once, but if you do it right,
once is enough. To live without regret,
don't ask permission. Do it in plain sight.
You only live once, but if you do it right,
don't try to hold it. To record delight
is not to feel it. You should not forget
you only live once. But if you do it right,
once is enough, to live without regret.
Shock Value
Those who are easily shocked should
be shocked more often.
—Mae West
Those who are easily shocked should be shocked more often.
If you don’t ever charge your engine, it won’t stay alive.
You know where you’ll never be shocked? Inside a coffin.
Those who are easily shocked should be shocked more often.
Before your arteries harden and other parts soften,
be galvanized. I’ve got the spark, if you’ve got the drive.
Those who are easily shocked should be shocked more often.
If you don’t ever charge your engine, it won’t stay alive.
Susan McLean
If you have any thoughts about these poems,
Susan
McLean would like to hear them
