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Themed

A Foolproof April

Flyover at Nats Park, Mar. 30, 2023 (see 58 Across)

Words:  76

Average Length:  5.00

Here’s a gently springy puzzle for early April, as well as a poem that I wrote after walking around the neighborhood.

online | puz | pdf | solution

Spring in My Feet

Einstein-haired forsythias wave

To daffodils who bow and brave

The bagpipe drone and wheeze of blowers

Lofting leaves among the flowers

Callow cherries blush with pride,

Their elders slumber on and bide

The time til arthritic limbs

Break out in pinkly glorious hymns

Zoysia steals more Zs before

It grudgingly comes green once more,

For now the onion grass stands guard

While squirrels scrabble ‘cross the yard

Weekday children walk to school

In shorts though temps be cold not cool,

Weekend farmers make their beds

With shredded hardwood, blacks and reds.

I’m glad my verse you did indulge;

My friends I thank you very mulch.

Categories
Themed

They Could Be Verse

Hamish the Highland Cow, the most Scottish photo I have; we can pretend the farmer’s name is Angus (see 37 Down)

Words:  76

Average Length:  4.82

I’ve read a lot of poetry this year; some of you might say “too much” after solving today’s grid.   That’s the excuse for the theme of this puzzle:  the almost certainly misguided idea to merge movie titles and poetry terms and clue them with verses that illustrate the terms.  For those of you who weren’t English majors, the terms are defined below. 

  • Anapest:  A meter of two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable
  • Couplet:  Two lines of verse, often in the same meter and normally rhyming, that form a unit
  • Dactyl:  A meter of one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables
  • Iamb:  A meter of one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable
  • Stanza:  A grouping of lines (often, but not necessarily, four) in a standalone unit within a poem

I promise Wednesday’s MMM will be rhyme-free!

online | puz | pdf | solution