Lecturer Poem by Daniel Trevelyn Joseph

He wrote on the board
“The husband said the wife
Is having an extra-marital affair”.

He asks the class, “Who is having the EMA? ”
Shout comes up loud, “the wife”.

He takes a piece of chalk, and puts two commas
One after husband, and one after wife.

It now reads, “The husband, said the wife, is
Having an extra-marital affair”.

He asks the class, “Who is having the EMA? ”
Confused murmur of husband, wife flutters.

“Not a word has changed, but the meaning has reversed
With just two commas.” Eats shoots and leaves, eh?

May I start the lecture on grammar, he said.
The class was all ears.

D T Joseph
19.02.08