We mustn’t call it poetry
Lest poets take offense
We dare not call it balladry—
That simply makes no sense
We cannot call it lyric verse
That label, too, falls flat–
I’ve heard some call it doggerel…
Well, I can live with that.
Ok, so I have a bit of an issue with Calvin Trillin. He is “The Nation‘s Deadline Poet”, drawing the inspiration for his verses from the headlines of the day. Dammit, I finally find my perfect job, and someone has it already. And there’s only one.
He even has a book out–“Deadline Poet,or, My Life As A Doggerelist“.
That’s right. He calls himself a doggerelist.
Check and mate, Mr. Trillin. You may call yourself a doggerelist. Other people call me a doggerelist. Yeah, that’s right. It’s a dictionary. I’m in a dictionary. Of sorts. Kinda. And I am example #2 of “doggerelist”.
So there.
Wait, really? “Doggerelist” isn’t a compliment?
Hmph.