A Cliché a Day Keeps the Doctor Away
By: Peggy Gerber

I don't want to make a mountain out of a mole hill,
but I am going to put my two cents in,
and though it goes without saying
and is as plain as the nose on your face,
it is worth repeating:
Cliches are overused in poetry.
Without further ado,
I'm going to cut to the chase,
so please try not to get bent out of shape
because you can't please everyone.
Just try to be a chip off the old block
and use fewer cliches in your writing:
It is better to be safe than sorry.
Rather than skate on thin ice,
keep a stiff upper lip
and banish those cliches to your past,
because there is no pain without gain and
what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
If you can just follow this one simple rule,
you will be free as a bird,
and we can all live happily ever after.
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