Sound & Sense, 2-79

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. mussed (verb—past tense of muss): to make something such as clothing or hair messy or untidy

2. must (aux verb): to say something is required by law; to say that someone should do something; to say that something is very likely

She must have left her hat at home,

For when the wind blew (there in Rome),

It mussed her lovely golden locks—

And made her wish she had a box

To cover up her tousled hair.

She knew her boyfriend wouldn’t care,

But she still felt some certain pride

In having hair that seemed she’d tried

To keep it neat—and in control.

She heard the wind, the thunder roll,

And just gave up—or so I guess.

For when I saw her? Such a mess.

But one must be so very kind—

Pretend, perhaps, that one is blind—

When saying things to one’s true love.

(You know what I am speaking of?)