{"id":795,"date":"2026-04-20T05:41:17","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T11:41:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/talesofmanythings.com\/blog\/?p=795"},"modified":"2026-04-19T16:07:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T22:07:04","slug":"the-return-to-timbuktu-new-poetry-for-part-deux","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/talesofmanythings.com\/blog\/2026\/04\/20\/the-return-to-timbuktu-new-poetry-for-part-deux\/","title":{"rendered":"The Return to Timbuktu, New Poetry for Part Deux"},"content":{"rendered":"

Of course all good stories<\/a> must come with a sequel, so let\u2019s see what that would look like.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Me and Tim Went Huntin\u2019 Too<\/strong>
\n(The Return to Timbuktu)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Me and Tim, some months gone by,
\nStill dreamin\u2019 \u2018bout those gals, oh my!
\nMae and Belle, and sweet ol\u2019 Sue,
\nWho left us high on Timbuktu.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go back,\u201d ol\u2019 Tim declared,
\nWith his mullet slicked and chest hair bared.
\n\u201cPack some beer and fancy boots,
\nWe\u2019ll bring cologne, not just our hoots.\u201d<\/p>\n

We hit the trail with hopes held high,
\nUnderneath that country sky.
\nBrought a speaker, set the mood,
\nWith outlaw jams and campfire food.<\/p>\n

Reached the bluff \u2018bout close to dark,
\nNo gals, no tent, no telltale spark.
\nJust a note nailed to a pine:
\n\u201cWe\u2019re off dancin\u2019 down the line.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell dang,\u201d said Tim, \u201cthey\u2019re gone ag\u2019in,\u201d
\nThen tripped and cussed his flask of gin.
\nI laughed so hard I near fell flat,
\nRight into a pile of coyote scat.<\/p>\n

But just as dusk began to bloom,
\nWe heard some hummin\u2019 cross the gloom.
\nOut the woods came Belle and Mae,
\nWith Sue ridin\u2019 a bale of hay.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe figured y\u2019all would try once more,\u201d
\nBelle said, winkin\u2019 with a snore.
\n\u201cWe like a man who keeps on tryin\u2019,
\nEven when the frogs ain\u2019t fryin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

We danced again and drank our fill,
\nPlayed truth or dare on Buster\u2019s Hill.
\nMae dared Tim to kiss a frog,
\nHe kissed a toad and blamed the fog.<\/p>\n

We howled and hollered through the night,
\nTill the moon gave way to mornin\u2019 light.
\nAnd this time when the gals did leave,
\nThey handed Tim a souvenir sleeve:<\/p>\n

A matchin\u2019 set of camo thongs,
\nA mixtape full of breakup songs,
\nA map marked \u201cNext Time: Bring Some Friends\u201d,
\n\u2018Cause the redneck tale never ends.<\/p>\n

So if you hear a tale or two,
\nOf strange romance on Timbuktu,
\nKnow it ain\u2019t \u2018bout maps or town,
\nIt\u2019s \u2018bout love that knocks you down.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Of course, for the Yale crowd, work like this is best done as a Shakespearean sonnet.\u00a0 Try to keep the tempo with me.\u00a0 Early Modern English is a little anachronistic, but pretend you\u2019re in an open air theater, enjoying Shakespeare under the stars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sidebar:<\/p>\n

If you did not obtain an Ivy League education, fret not.\u00a0 Here are a few tips for enjoying Shakespeare.\u00a0 Feel free to skip this sidebar and read on, but it\u2019s here for you if you need to recall the high school Shakespeare primer.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Understanding the Structure:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Know the Form:<\/strong> A Shakespearean (or English) sonnet has a specific structure:\n