The Muse and The Pain

by Carmen Ruggero

Pardon me for falling failing at
what most pipo peepo people
grab hold take by for granted
look see, English is
my number two second language.
Español, français et italiano, fine,
I grew up with the sounds.
But I am confused a lot
by fonics phonics.
Why is F a Ph if they ring sound the same?
words like lose, and loose, and loss, and lost,
and boost, and bust, and piece, and peace,
give me spasms of the mind.
And then hole wholeheartedly I try to rhyme,
holy macaroni parmigiano!
I just invented a new crime!
Why does sky rhyme with ‘by’ and not ‘night’?
Could it be my elocution,
playing games of allocution?
Maybe I’m tone def deaf, or have ears in my wax,
but if I cannot get the sounds to jet,
how am I ever gonna right write a son et?