Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Robert Paul Weston - Freddy and the Yeti

Freddy and the Yeti
by
Robert Paul Weston

“I don’t mean to sound petty,”
said Fred to the Yeti,
“but would you mind moving your foot?
It’s dusty and smelly,
and there on my belly,
my suit gets all sullied with soot.”

“I regret,” said the Yeti.
“My leg is so sweaty,
so filthy and dripping with slime.
But my toes are sooo grungy,
and your shirt is sooo spongy.
It’s perfect for wiping my grime!”

“Well, I wish you’d remove it!
I quite disapprove it,
and someone should give you the news:
You would cut that aroma
putting me in a coma
if you just started wearing some shoes!”

©Robert Paul Weston. All rights reserved.

If you don't know Robert Paul Weston - and you should, I say to you - just go now and find a copy of Zorgamazoo. (Heck, listen to Alan Cumming perform a bit of it if you somehow doubt my idea). It's a novel, yes... and a novel entirely in rhyming couplets! Funny, a little dark, and with a strong story, it's amazing as a read-aloud or read-alone.

No one rhyming novel wonder (Prince Puggly of Spud and the Kingdom of Spiff is likewise in verse), Robert Paul Weston also has a noirish novel in prose and, clearly, writes shorter poems, too. I love the rhythms of Freddy and the Yeti and the way the words slip and slide off my tongue when I say 'em. I like the silliness, too, but to me it's the package that silliness is wrapped up in that makes it work.

I'm excited to see that there's a new novel on the way in November (The Creature Department from Razorbill), and I look forward to seeing what comes after that, too. In the meantime, I'm thrilled to have Robert Paul Weston here today as part of 30 Poets/30 Days.

Yesterday Laurel Snyder brought us Bluster. For more on 30 Poets/30 Days and ways to follow along, please click here.


2 comments:

tanita✿davis said...

This is laughably gross in all the right ways.

Charles Waters said...

Oh VERY nice indeed. Nice wordplay, with a tasty O'Henry ending!