Bruce Hopke was a tall man who provided IT hardware support to our project. When he found a better opportunity elsewhere, I prepared this going-away poem for him. As you can see, I chose to challenge myself to find rhymes that incorporated his last name.
Rhymes with Hopke
Nothing rhymes with Hopke, so
I’ll have to be most clever,
If I’m going to avoid
My shortest poem ever.
If you ever get the chance
To see Bruce Hopke bored,
It won’t be when he’s working on
Your new desktop keyboard.
It takes some distance if you want
To see Bruce Hopke whole.
You’ll never view his body through
A coffee shop keyhole.
I told you it was futile.
I said there was no way
To make a rhyme with “Hopke,”
Which I’ve proven on this day.
So after that, it’s time to say,
“Goodbye, Bruce Hopke,” now.
We wish you luck, and here I pray
Someone will stop me now.
Best wishes for the future.
John M. Campbell
March 1999
Click here for my previous poem, Riding the Road to Convergence