Sound and Sense, 2-19

Time for more instances of the homophone: a word pronounced the same as another but differing in meaning, whether spelled the same way or not, as heir and air.

1. eminent (adj.): successful, well-known, and respected

2. immanent (adj.): indwelling, inherent

3. imminent (adj.): happening very soon

He hired a surgeon (eminent)

To find out where his poor soul went.

It used to be, well, immanent.

But then one day it simply fled—

And in his heart he felt such dread

That he just simply went to bed.

But help, he hoped, was imminent.

The surgeon to his task was bent.

But though he cut, there was a dent

That formed along the hard bright blade

The scalpel had. The thing was made

Of finest steel. He was afraid

When he woke up, the surgeon gone

In those, the early hours of dawn.

He sat up then—and such a yawn!

And there he saw the surgeon’s note:

“Your heart’s too hard—a double coat

Of cruelty. That’s all she wrote.”

And so he gave up any hope.

He found a sturdy length of rope.

And then he hanged himself—the dope!

But even hanging didn’t work—

He was so thoroughly a jerk

The rope just snapped. He went berserk!

A woman found him in a heap,

Said, “Try not being such a creep.”

He listened. Changed. And now can sleep.

With her.