"The sundial smiled" [pantoum]

But the sundial smiled in the rain
is this how irony begins?
like the premonition of pain
that's appealing   shimmery with fins?
is this how irony begins?
one's unable   does that make one Cain?
that's appealing   shimmery with fins
but to whom does it now appertain?

one's unable   does that make one Cain?
the sardines come delivered in tins
but to whom does it now appertain?
the losses seem more than the wins
the sardines come delivered in tins
the roses were featured with thorns
the losses seem more than the wins
the drummers soon paused for the horns

the roses were featured with thorns
the violets remembered fond springs
the drummers soon paused for the horns
while compassion flowed through normal things
the violets remembered fond springs
the bison recall vanished days
while compassion flowed through normal things
little words were employed to sing praise

the bison recall vanished days
the mountain redreams olden seasons
little words were employed to sing praise
every rhyme grew nostalgic for reasons
the mountain redreams olden seasons
the circus now pines for the road
every rhyme grew nostalgic for reasons
personalities sometimes implode

the circus now pines for the road
the frog thought about all the flies
personalities sometimes implode
it's presumably hard being wise
the frog thought about all the flies
the baker delights in the grain
it's presumably hard being wise
but the sundial smiled in the rain



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A pantoum beginning and ending with a line borrowed from John Ashbery