By Ashley Lister
This
is the ballad of poor, simple Dave
A
pervert whose quirks sent him straight to the grave
He
built a sex robot to use as a slave
And
he came to a sad, sticky end.
According to the Poetry Archive, “A refrain is a repeated part of a
poem, particularly when it comes either at the end of a stanza or between two
stanzas.”
Poor
Dave fixed white goods, by way of a trade
At
night, on his X-Box, there were games that he played
And
none of this helped the poor sod to get laid.
And
he came to a sad, sticky end.
Refrains are popular in forms such as the villanelle and the triolet
and we can even see it being used in John McCrae’s beautiful war memorial rondeau:
‘In Flanders Fields’. Personally I think the refrain is one of the most
underrated devices in all of poetry. The repetition of a full line (or even
half a line) allows the poet to draw attention to a specific sentiment. As
writers, we can’t get away with that level of foregrounding. But, as poets, no
one bats an eyelid when we repeat and repeat and repeat.
“This
just isn’t fair,” he’d sigh and he’d weep.
“I’m
living alone like some sick sort of creep.”
Then
he’d pull off a swift one and go back to sleep.
And
he came to a sad, sticky end.
As you can see, I’ve used a refrain on the final line of each verse in
my ‘Ballad of Poor Simple Dave’. This is a story told in poetic form that
follows the sad adventures of a young man who builds a sex robot. When I’ve
read this one at public performances I’ve heard audiences spontaneously join in
with that refrain and take ownership of the work. It’s humbling to be a part of
such an experience.
So
he made a sex robot. It wasn’t that hard.
He’d
got spares from old cookers lying round his backyard.
Once
she was assembled he lubed her with lard.
And
he came to a sad, sticky end.
I won’t publish the rest of the poem here – it might not be to every
reader’s liking. But I will ask, if you feel inclined: why not post a couple of
stanzas of your own poetry that are bound by a single refrain? As always, the
comments box is below and it’s always a pleasure to read your work.
