Sonnet For A Listicle

by Christian Brown
for Mallory Ortberg

Shall I compare thee to a listicle
Whose comment’ry in subtext ebbs and flows?
Well, no, that wouldn’t make much sense at all,
Since lists can’t write and I prefer your prose.

For numbered lists drop words like swirling leaves
Whose posting is transparently linkbait,
The format’s loved by Slackt’ry and Buzzfeed
And frankly they are easier to hate.

But even so a writer in her prime
(Who’s certain that her order is the best)
Can wrestle formats, muscle into line
A poem from lists of nuts, or songs, or breasts.

As tragedies give birth to joys undreamed,
So listicles by poets are redeemed.