Retort         by Paul Wagner               

While boating
On Lake Lore,
Kids watching from
The shore,

One yelled
"Hey nerd,
Know what
I heard?

Heard you're
A chump,
A useless lump."
He took a breath or two.

Then with contempt
and smug disdain,
he asked--he dared--
me to explain:

"What is it that you do?

Can you invent?
Dispel dissent?
Sing a song, or
Right a wrong?

Can you expound
Ideas sound?
Compose a verse,
Remove a curse?

If every creature,
Large or small,
Is somehow special,
Tell us all...

How are you?"

With that he waited.
Onlookers hushed.
All looked at me.
I squirmed and blushed

And racked my brain.
No answer came.
I thought, in fright,.
Can he be right?.

He smirked and laughed
in hearty gloat.
My fingers itched to
Grasp his throat.

To be put down
And made a clown,
Caused me deep shame;
And then it came.

I paddled near
So all could hear
My cool retort.
I kept it short..

"I can row...
Canoe?"

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