Let's have some appreciation
in these days of tribulation
for rules of metrication.
Length is measured by meter
and volume is measured by liter.
Hams, lamps, and yams
can all be weighed in grams.
Choose a book that has a map.
Place the book upon your lap.
Consider distance, oh gentle readers,
and convert the miles to kilometers.
Nation after nation has made the swing to metric.
Isn't it time we took the plunge
and made measurement less hectic?

Here's a quick response to Conrad's poem:

"ODE TO THE MILE"

Have you heard the latest news?
Once again, they'll ignore our views

Our roads have signs with miles and yards
But a change to metric's on the cards

86% say 'Keep our Signs'
But the metricators know their lines

"We'll do it all by legislation
Achieve it with some criminalisation
End the measurements of a nation
Subject them to termination

Change your road signs by the million
Spending at least one whole billion

We don't care for your old tradition
Obliteration is our mission".


And here's one limerick we wrote earlier - after changing 122 signs in Ely from metric to Imperial last November:


"Ely folk found metric signs hard
And ARM explained: 'They're barred'
So without further ado,
Using paint and some glue
They changed them all back into yards"

Arianne has her own site with some Wonder Woman
classic comics graphics and her own animations
and some anti-metric-system poetry. This is one
of her poems.
*******************

Metricators, oh metricators
How I despise thee
You can divide by 10
But then again
Not by the number three.

Metric, or metric
Why art thou so hard?
There are kilometers to use
Or centimeters…pick and choose
But I prefer the yard.

SI, oh SI
Used by the world around
Has kilograms for ships
And grams for paper clips
But I just use the pound.

Metricators, oh metricators
Thee I cannot support
For liters are so stupid
To measure simple fluid
So I just use the quart.

Metric, oh metric
It is you I resent
You treat Celsius as a hero
And Kelvin for absolute zero
Though Fahrenheit makes me content.

SI, oh SI
They claim you are so neat
You have meters for the tall
And millimeters for the small
But I’ll just use my feet.

Customary, oh Customary
You’re the one that makes me smile
Everyone else can measure
However they pleasure
But I’ll just use the mile.

Conrad - your line "isn't it time we took the plunge
and made measurement less hectic" tickled me.

I mean this little myth by the metricators that folk in the UK and US find our own measures - like foot and pint - difficult to use!

That always makes me laugh!

Please gentlemen, a bit is more than sufficient.
The following quotes may be of interest.

Perhaps no person can be a poet, or can even enjoy poetry, without/ a certain unsoundness of mind.
Macaulay, Lord

If poetry comes not as naturally as leaves to a tree it had better not come at all.
Keats, John

Not gods, nor men, nor even booksellers have put up with poets' being second-rate.
Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) (65 - 8 BC)