Tautopoesia

SLIMY
ON HAMSTER TEETH
AS LEAP

EYESORE
AWAY, TOOK ILL
ASH HEAP.

The solution to the poem (and to sleeping)

SLY ME
ON HAMPSTEAD HEATH
ASLEEP

I SAW
A WAY TO KILL
A SHEEP.

Author's Notes/Comments: 

A tautopoetic poem must have IDENTICAL syllables, which when the ictus is shifted change one version into another.

Such poems are almost impossible to write.

Invariably, one version is cryptic whilst the other, the SOLUTION, is clear.

The work was written whilst unable to sleep due to the patter of the feet of the sheep I was trying to count.

This poem was first published in the mid-1980's in NW3 Magazine.

n.b. The author of this poem is Charles Douglas Wehner (of Wehner.org fame), he is sadly presumed to now be dead and I have the only copies of a couple of his poems that I believe are worth publishing online.

View jonfeb's Full Portfolio