Remembrance strikes a shiver
Air transforms into a river
A school of chubby, remarkable fish
fly past with a tail swish
complete with snake heads, no doubt
terrific fangs curved about
The creatures pierce her stunned soul
through ominous eyes of green glow
in hot pursuit of school yard kids
One after another, scalloped pattern bids

and then…

A fresh new 2021 design
calls for Charmin’s perforated line
to undulate, up and down it goes
each square turned un-square as it flows
forward in order to be torn loose
to wipe a nose, a cheek, the caboose
but leaves jagged edges, ugly rips
in the hands of an innocent’s grips
This new fangled style is a super bust
Bring back straight lines, Charmin, you must
Free the mind to scatter nightmares you cause
(This is where the poet doth pause

thinking up the whole of two parts

Common OphidioPhobia
And Vermin AteloPhobia
meet in the psyche, fall in love, and marry
then birth a thing so stinkin’ scary
Inspired by crimeless trips to the loo
the fear of imperfection says I do
to the fear of snakes and together spawn
AtelophidioPhobia as a new day doth dawn)

Thanks, Charmin, for the tissue pattern debut
officiating a union—an unlikely pair, the two
within the chaotic yet guiltless brain of a mom
She sifts through fears and loses aplomb
but sorts disorder out anyway
finds a good laugh for much of the day
and the day after that

and the day after that
she continues to resolve
eventually does the woman absolve
ill-bred invention from Charmin’s lab
she lives to tell the story and take a stab
in a line or forty-eight the tale of insignificance
and still, it’s amazing, subconsciously influenced
by a visit to the toilet minding business of her own
Who knew? An under-celebrated creativity zone!