Here's my first attempt at Perl Poetry, nuns and monks.  It was quite an interesting, artistic challenge for me.  Not to be like the magician who explains his tricks, but I tried to put multiple layers and multiple poems into this poem.  For instance, the main print section contains a different poem from the poem it prints--yes, it does run and without errors.  I also made my sub-routines into related Haiku.  When reading it (preferably aloud), take some poetic license and round out the text when it reads awkwardly otherwise--for instance, replace "=" with "is" or "are", say the "at" for the @ character of arrays.  But not "dollar sign" for the beginning of strings, of course.  Also, almost no command is extraneous.  For instance, I want you to say "my" when there is such a private variable declaration.

Okay!  I'll stop explaining and let you read it and let you run it.  Please let me know what you think.

#!/usr/bin/perl -w

# Program:  two_loves.pl
   my $Programmer = "Spenser";

# Starting out alone
   system("clear");
   my ($me, $first, $alone);
   $alone = 0;
   $me = " and "; my $heart = "desire";

# My useless efforts
   while($alone) {
   my $life = "nothing";
   my $time = "wasted";
}

# Next came you, my joy
   my $joy = "you";
   my $girl;
   my $good = 1;

   @love = ('you', 'me');

# Looked into our hearts
   if($heart eq "desire") {
      $joy = join("$me", @love);
   }

# Our relationship developed quickly
   my $love = $joy;

   &dating($good);
   &romancing($you);
   &loving($you);
   &sex_with($you);

# The result is, as always,
# two poetic possibilities

   print qq|

   $Troubled Waters

   $Love\'s a $tear $lost sea:
   $Soothing $me $in$despair,
   $Touching $me $tenderly,
   $Comforting $me $warmly.
   --$Sadness is $love.
   |;

# Dating Haiku
#------------------------------
sub dating {
   my $date = 1;

   if($date < $good) {
      $tear = "cool";
      $lost = "day";
   }
   if($date == $good) {
      $tear = "warm";
      $lost = "night";
   }
}

# Romancing Haiku
#--------------------------
sub romancing {
   if($you = 1) {
      $in = "cares";
      $Sadness = "Joy";
      $despair = "sing";
      $Troubled = "Content";
   }
}

# Loving Haiku
#--------------------------
sub loving {
   if($you = 1) {
      $Soothing = "Comforting";
      $Comforting = "Stimulating";
      $Love = "Love";
   }
}

# Sexual Haiku
#------------------------
sub sex_with {
   if($you = 1) {
      $Touching = "sensual";
      $tenderly = "seductive";
      $warmly = "titilating";
   }
}

   print "                -$Programmer \n\n\n";

# Having said enough,
   exit;

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