Trombones can express humor as well as music

Remember the great song from The Music Man that begins with the lyric, 76 TROMBONES led the big parade...? Always did like that one.

Another thing I've always liked is the poem pattern that rhymes every other line, using 7 syllables for the first line, 6 syllables for the second line, and repeating until the poem (of whatever length) is complete.

An example is a poem I wrote at the age of thirteen. Not sure I can locate the complete version, but the first verse remains clear in memory:

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from My Morning Walk
Copyright 1957 by Fred Baker

The heron rises,frightened
But I was frightened more
I now include changing shorts
As one more morning chore

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Note: I didn't really have to change my shorts...quite. It made my English teacher laugh, though, and my career in poetic humor was launched.

Anyway, in appreciation of that 7-6-7-6 pattern, abbreviated to 76, I've termed this precise form...76 TROMBONES. If you agree that this style is pretty cool, feel free to send us a sample of your own version.

If you enter a humorous poem in 76 Trombones style in the form above, here is what we will do in return:

1. Read it very carefully and with respect.

2. If it is clean and humorous, I will publish it on a special poetic-humor Contributions Page for a minimum of three months. (To see how that works, click on the Contributions button, then on any Name Link shown on that page.)

3. If your creation doesn�ft quite fit our website, we will let you know AND let you know why.

4. IF you want no-charge mentoring, I will personally suggest possible amendments (I don�ft say �gimprovements�h because often it�fs simply a matter of taste, not quality.).

5. If you choose, you amend and resubmit as many times as you like.

A point �� about copyright: You retain all rights to the material you submit with one exception: Poetic-humor.com receives the right to publish said material on this website for a period not to exceed one year.

A point �� about copyright: You further certify that any and all poems you submit are your original creation(s) and that you hold us harmless from any legal action should such not be the case.

Please feel free to submit as many poetic humor writings as you like; we look forward to receiving every one.

With appreciation,

Fred

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