Analysis of Private I.



I am following him closely.
Three days now.
Good retainer and expense cash.
Divorce.
Photos with the dummy
And his little Tart.
Recordings.
Dubious witness statements.

Scorned Missus is
A pretty number herself.
Dressed smartly.
Right make-up always.
But now cold, vengeful
Full of horrid recompense
And shame, intended
For the poor Guy.

Why do I do this?
Used to be a cop myself.
Against liquor, tobacco and firearms. (1930’s)
Straight forward
On the street
Or lurid warehouse beat.
Highways, harbour, train cars.

Not the sour Attitudes
I get now.
Matrimonial.
Embezzlement.
Lost pets.
Missing persons.
Neutralizing threats or harassments.
Personal backgrounds on the nefarious.
Partnerships in tail spins.
Fire Insurance fraud.

Everybody lies
Everybody wants my neck
In a noose.
Prove they are smarter.
Fill their own wallets.
Often worst enemies are clients
Or their close ones.

Oh well, it’s a paycheque
And twice a year
Miami time off.
Sun, sleep, seafood, beach, books, broads.
Away from this here Philly.
And the bumps and grinds.
Of my day to day. Subsistence.


Scheme ABXCAXXD XEAXFXXG XEXXHHX XBFXXICXXX XXXXXDI GXXCAXX
Poetic Form
Metre 11100110 111 10100011 01 11010 01101 010 1001010 1101 0101001 110 1111 11110 111010 01010 1011 11111 111011 0110010101 110 101 11011 11011 101010 111 0100 0100 11 1010 100111 1001100100 10011 100101 1001 100111 001 11110 11110 101100110 1111 11101 0101 01011 111111 0111110 00101 11111010
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 1,083
Words 216
Sentences 35
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 7, 10, 7, 7
Lines Amount 47
Letters per line (avg) 18
Words per line (avg) 4
Letters per stanza (avg) 141
Words per stanza (avg) 29

About this poem

Try viewing the recent film Marlowe starring Liam Neeson. Good stuff. In the style of the portrayal by Robert Mitchum. Books by Raymond Chandler. Friend online Leonard Wilson might like this one. He gets into the darkness, dampness, danger and dread of the genre.

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Written on May 09, 2023

Submitted by dougb.19255 on May 09, 2023

Modified by dougb.19255 on May 09, 2023

1:04 min read
18

Wayne Blair

Born in London. Graduated law 1976 Practised eleven years, Married Hilary 1974 Two kids Lauren 1980 And Jordan 1987. Business failed 1987. Moved not knowing whither. Happy hills of Waterloo Region. Mennonite Country. Thirty four years in Industry. No complaints. Poet, photographer, nature hiker. Harmonica busker. http://puffnchord7.blogspot.com/ more…

All Wayne Blair poems | Wayne Blair Books

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