One Metre Eighty Poem by Jonathan ROBIN

Think of a grain eighty years long
growth in the main haphazard along
isolate skein urged to belong.
Heir to a brain in suit or sarong
hairs few remain, pane shuttered or gone,

Think daily strain umpteen tears long
too soon must wane for both weak, strong,
decanted champagne, bubbles long gone,
the curse of Cain, eighty years long.

Sink or swim reign eighty years long,
patience a vain rein to headstrong,
against the grain tortured by Tong,
legerdemain eighty years long.

Think of life's train eighty years long,
routed to chain rail-roaded headlong,
simple, mundane, lost among throng,
time and again, eighty years long.

D.N.A. chain eighty years long,
links loss and gain, Fortune's ping-pong.
Think of a grain eighty years long,
links forged to train Life's contretemps.

Think of life's lane eighty years long
where men fight to maintain rights to prolong
sojourn, obtain slight space for light song,
grovel for gain, sold for a song.

Birth to berth lane eighty aisles long,
for life without stain all taught to long
though few on remain on right path, do wrong,
all soon rest [s]lain, Lethe sleep long.

Joy overta'en, once the sun shone,
by pain, migraine, by aches which prong,
what love's pulse plain continues lifelong
until higher plane culls fragile throng.

Think metered cane, zapping along,
tapping refrain, blind to that throng,
strain to contain dirge merge to song,
swift to complain eighty years long.
by aches pain, migraine, distracted lifelong.

Rethink life's lane eighty miles long,
prime-time climbs wane, champagne bubbles gone,
give way to pain 'fortitude' long
none may remain far from Pluto's prong.

Rethink that grain eighty years long,
rethink smiles sane men would prolong,
trouble and strain till final gong,
there two feet lain, six deep, six long.

Rethink gravel lane, eighty [s]miles long,
years tears contain belying smiles wan,
time's tide's sandy grains smother pride strong,
who remembers fair Jane, Tarzan, King Kong?

Road map of life for Will, Abdul, Wong,
shows load cut by knife, end tocsin ding dong,
weather vane rife with doubt, Fate's sun shone
weather vain strife, or smiles all along,

Think joy and pain eighty years long,
auction bids plain or hidden along
fiction facts apes before gavel falls, bong!
ever_rest drain flames fame's aims life-long.

Read this refrain near eighty lines long,
who may refrain from tagging along,
musing upon domain name's swan-song.
What will remain of life's mah-jong?
Think of that grain eighty years long.

(24 March 2013)