Tuesday poem #623 : Words by David Martin/Image by Innes Cheng : Nothing to Do

 

 

I’m bored, I’m bored, I’m bored.
There’s nothing for me to do.

          “Then read a book or draw,
          or make a craft with glue.”

I’m bored, I’m bored, I’m bored.
And none of those will do.

          “Then ride your bike or skip.
          I’ll play a game with you.”

I’m bored, I’m bored, I’m bored.
And still those will not do.

          “Then call a friend, or paint.
          I’ll build a fort with you.”

I’m bored, I’m bored, I’m bored.
It’s a nightmare that’s come true.

          “Then vacuum the house, or mop,
          or clean a toilet or two.

          Then dust the shelves, and sweep,
          and polish every shoe.

          Then fold the sheets, and cook,
          and pick up doggy doo.”

You know I’d love to help—
I’m just too busy to.

But maybe when I’m bored,
then I can help with you.

 

 

Words by David Martin. Image by Innes Cheng.

 

 

 

Innes Cheng is a visual artist who makes greeting cards, prints, and murals. She was a drummer for the indie-pop band The Fragments, and she divides her time between creating visual art and raising her four-year-old son in Vancouver, British Columbia.

David Martin has published three collections of poems: Tar  Swan (NeWest Press, 2018), Kink Bands (NeWest Press, 2023), and Limited Verse, (University of Calgary Press, 2024). His work was recently selected for Best Canadian Poetry 2025 (Biblioasis).

the Tuesday poem is curated by rob mclennan