He soaked his boot
To get rid of the soot
The grime dissolved away
Clean in an alterante way
©Tony Stagnitta & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

Sam slept under the bed
The ghost wanted him dead
He was pulled out by the ears
Better to face your fears
©Tony Stagnitta & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

A mackerel once kicked a Shark,
Said he did it for a lark,
Ended his Earthly Troubles
Beware of Logic Bubbles
©Ravi Mohan & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

Edward shuffles cards just fine,
Each one bears a poetry line,
Played his trick in three cards, though.
Don't discount the bonneteau!
* Bonneteau (bon-to) is French for "three card trick"
©Steve Smith & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

A foolish Ghost possessed Edward
It refused to be sent "upward"
It became a very good thinker
Who does what to whom ?Go figure!
©Ravi Mohan & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

I shredded all my money
I thought wealth was baloney
Poverty bought more wisdom
Don't listen to mystic bunkum!
©Ravi Mohan & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

I put some ink in my soup
To stand out in my group
Ink soup became the fashion
Can't beat a stupid imitation.
©Ravi Mohan & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

A foolish Ghost possessed Edward
It refused to be sent "upward"
It became a very good thinker
Who does what to whom ?Go figure!
©Ravi Mohan & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

He drove into the lake
Due to a faulty brake
His car got wet
Car maintenance is a good bet
©Tony Stagnitta & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

Billy bit the snake
Only because he knew it was a fake
They thought him fearless
Showing off is careless
©Tony Stagnitta & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

a killer one point has
"this is the same as..."
it leads to recidivism
beware funnel mechanism
©Jukka Kukkonen & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

only few took the request
the rest preferred to rest
the lazy don't wear hats
the wise create postats
©Jukka Kukkonen & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

Revolutionaries!
do Not make enemies
for Law and Order
Design the Power
©Jukka Kukkonen & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

Wait a second!
Minutes reckoned
Hours to do it
Tempus fugit
©Steve Smith & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

Acrobat rehinged his knees
To make it better to trapeze
Found his legs were quite unstable
Don't put elbows on the table!
©Steve Smith & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

Albert Einstein speeds for ticket
Tells the officer where to stick it
Einstein pleads; court disaster
Energy's matter, just a bit faster
©Steve Smith & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

perception flows natural
but that isn't lateral
simplicity will enhance
thinking is our best chance
©Jukka Kukkonenr & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

seems blank pieces have been found
simpler ideas would be sound
no good view was obtained
described differs from the gained
©Jukka Kukkonen & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

He scratched his nose
In smelling a rose
His nose became red
Smelling can hurt your head
©Tony Stagnitta & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

Jerry jumped from the plane
Because he was insane
He died with the virus
Death can avoid a crisis
©Tony Stagnitta & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

He bought an island in Venice
To get away from neighbour menace
It's quiet all the time
Solitude is sublime
©Tony Stagnitta & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

He buried his thought
He thought it worth nought
The idea will never have ability
Never rule out a possibility
©Tony Stagnitta & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

Billy built a house on sand
In order to make it grand
The tide eroded the foundation
Many factors go into creation
©Tony Stagnitta & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

NO SURPRISE PARTY
Bert spelled out the plot activity
In advance to increase objectivity
This was quite a weird pretense
Brecht's no master of suspense
©Steve Smith & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

FIRE DRILL
Bob put a fuse in his floppy disk
In order to reduce the risk
Of all electrical faults forthwith
The power of media is no myth
©Steve Smith & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

LAW FOUR
Newton put the Apple back
Instead buys PC, not a Mac
It's too big, and no refutin'
Should have bought an Apple Newton
©Steve Smith & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

John sees a circus along the way
When in Prague on holiday
Acrobat pickpockets cost him double
Bouncing Czechs cause lots of trouble
©Steve Smith & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

OUT ON A LIMB
Bob wears old shoes way too small,
Then scales an oak to fetch a ball,
Slips on acorns (wouldn't you know)
Great aches from little toe corns grow
©Steve Smith & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

POOR SCORE
Bob's intelligence tests agree
His I.Q.'s 13 double-E
Bob's mistakes cause the score surprise
Act your age, not your shoe size!
©Steve Smith & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

HEAVEN SENT
Satan goes to the pearly gate
To see how long is heaven's wait
Queues as far as the eye can see
Waiting can be purgatory.
©Steve Smith & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

IN LIMBO
Dyslexic Deborah dancing goes
To cross the floor, her eyes and toes
Crosses arms then comes unstuck
Cross your fingers for good luck!
©Steve Smith & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

METHOD ACTING
Marsha thought she was a tree
Thanks to Con. Stanislavsky
Ringbarked, then cut down, in fact
There's no method - we all act
©Steve Smith & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

He coloured his tie
While eating his pie
Brown and red abide
Bad taste you cannot hide.
©Tony Stagnitta & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

Keri kicked a cat
To make it fly like a bat
Animal welfare did see
There's no gain in cruelty
©Tony Stagnitta & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

Ken kicked a cat
To make it fly like a bat
The police didn't like that
Bontos are a seventh hat
©Tony Stagnitta & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

Edward speaks new language
Assisting idea leverage
In firm constructs awaiting
Ideas require translating!
©Steve Smith & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

Pinocchio sharpens his nose
To smell a lovely rose
The odour is quite nasty
Don't mess with rhinoplasty!
©Steve Smith & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

Elderly Bob abseiled into bed
"To add romantic spice", he said
His wife slept through the hullaballoo
Old age soon creeps up on you
©Steve Smith & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

Sammy repented
Semi-demented
Half drunk, shriven
Half forgiven?
©Steve Smith & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

Bob put springs on his helipad
To make his landings much less bad
Bounced his teeth out during landings
Don't use choppers that demand springs
©Steve Smith & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

Bob filled shoes with lemon juice
He thought this was a charming ruse
Sockish odours thus suppressed
All things should be done with zest
©Steve Smithr & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

Battery hens buy a burglar alarm
To keep the layers free from harm
Eggs taken, chickens deluded
NB. Batteries not included.
©Steve Smith & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

Girlfriend caused Bob heart attacks
"Cover my torso with molten wax!"
Bob's enticed by love's strange game
Lo, beware, the naked flame!!
©Steve Smith & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

Bob's friend caused more heart attacks
Takes Bob's chest hair off with wax
Later, Bob (in hospital) mends
Don't burn the candle at both ends!
©Steve Smith & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

Ed. Boyle rushed his cup of tea
pV equals nRT
Swore at steam burns from his pot
Under pressure, things get hot
©Steve Smith & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997

Little Miss Muffet, worried, squirmed
The nasty spider had returned
Muffet committed insecticide
Don't welcome what's not bona fide
©Steve Smith & Edward de Bono Creative Team 1997