Poems with Lois Letchford: Carpenter Ants

24 Nov 2020 · 1 min

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1:17

In this YouTube video, author Lois Letchford, known for her memoir Reversed, introduces herself and presents a spoken‑word performance of Jack Palutski’s poem “The Carpenter Rages” (from New Kid on the Block). The poem humorously chronicles a carpenter whose tools—hammer, saw, chisel, ladder, and even his pants—are systematically devoured by organized teams of carpenter ants. Letchford delivers the verses with rhythmic intensity, emphasizing the carpenter’s escalating frustration and frantic movements. The video concludes with a standard YouTube call‑to‑action encouraging viewers to like, subscribe, and share.

Chapters

Hello, I'm Lois Letchford, author of the book Reversed: A Memoir, reading from Jack Palutski's New Kid on the Block. The Carpenter Rages. The carpenter rages, the carpenter rants. The carpenter raises a clamour. It's all on account of his carpenter's ants who have eaten the carpenter's hammer. The carpenter bellows, the carpenter screams, the carpenter clenches his draw. The carpenter's ants in well-organised teams have eaten the carpenter's saw. The carpenter splutters, the carpenter stews, the carpenter simmers and sizzles, for the carpenter's ants working swiftly in crews have eaten the carpenter's chisel. The carpenter sits in a heap on the ground, the carpenter grows even madder, for the carpenter's ants Swarming up and around, have eaten the carpenter's ladder. The carpenter suddenly leaps in the air. He writhes in a furious dance, for those carpenter ants, with incredible flair, have eaten the carpenter's pants. Enjoy! Hit like, subscribe, and share. Thank you.