I tried to write the other day

But gave up in despair

The word I wanted and tried to say

Just - wasn't - there

Then in a eureka moment

The kind we find astounds

It knew wasn't me

It was those - darned - sounds

I took my pen

And attacked the page

Writing furiously

In an etymological rage

Immediately my anger grew

But then I thought

That I'd be thorough

And plough ahead

Until I was through

I didn't realize the time

Until I had lost all sense of rhyme

This was a challenge

I couldn't meet

My only out - admit defeat

The devilish sounds were everywhere

Sometimes four sometimes two

Like aw and oh and ow and ooh

And uh just for good measure

Then changing to another sound

Even altering its shape anew

aff and uff and up and aah and aw

And still another oh

What was I to do?

It wasn't taught

It was rough

It made me hiccough

Then I had to laugh

As I thought of au pair

I would ask my daughter

For an intelligent quote

She relied,

"Dad you just learn it by rote."