I had to laugh at that truly dreadful Carole Anne Duffy poem commissioned especially for the Radio Times Christmas issue. It's hilarious. It's based on the 12 days of Christmas and veers between earnest, bizarre, topical, non-sensical and just plain daft.
To wit, the sixth day:
'I bought a magic goose from a maiden (comely)
this goose laid Joanna Lumley'
Is this serious? Or is it some kind of joke? Again:
'I bought a magic goose from a bargain bin, it
was the goose laid Alan Bennett'
Hmm, must be the first time Alan Bennett has been associated with any sort of bargain bin. He'd be mortified. This woman's the poet Laureate! She clearly dashed it off in a hurry.
I don't claim to know a thing about poetry, but surely she's having a laugh. Or am I missing the point and it's a great work of art?
I could have thrown a load of fridge magnets up in the air and come up with something better.
