Pages

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

POEM #8- THE LEANING TOWER OF PISA

Leaning Tower of Pisa, photo by Alkarex Malin ager, Wikimedia Commons

 I am participating in Mary Lee Hahn's "Our Wonderful World" this month. Mary Lee has compiled a list of thirty wonders, and each day she is writing a poem about a different one. Today's wonder is the the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I began as I have several other nights (around 8:00). First I googled the Leaning Tower of Pisa, then I read a few articles, until I found something that interested me. Tonight, I found it in an article entitled, "Will the Leaning Tower of Pisa Ever Fall?" on How Stuff Works.

And now I have to go do a little schoolwork.

“Leaning Tower of Pisa”

The tower, it’s said
began to lean
almost from its inception
shallow foundation
soft sandy soil
and the lean began

For 800 years
through several wars
thousands of visitors
tower tilted
and tilted
and tilted.

Workers wished
to compensate
adjusted architecture
drilled deeply
and still the edifice leaned.

Tower closed
experts examined
made miniscule measurements
reinforced
with bands and bricks
concrete and cables
drilled down
suctioned soil
applied pressure
measured
repeated
repeated
repeated

until
  finally
     the 
        leaning 
           tower
              leaned 
                a 
                 little
                  less.

(c) Carol Wilcox, 2014

3 comments:

Mary Lee said...

You captured the tower's history in words and in the shape at the end! Primo!!

Dogtrax said...

I love how your poem is like an archeological dig! With words!
:)
Kevin

Cathy said...

Leaning words for ending. Bravo!

Cathy