Melbourne's divination game

Have you tried to park your car lately?

Well let me tell you, not only you need

A driving license but I would recommend
That you acquire a parking license.

Despite the limited linguistic vocabulary

The parking signs display, numbers and fractions,

Letters and some arcane symbols,

One has to have the gift

Of divination or to be totally oblivious

And turn into a fatalistic person and hope for the best!

So you have to read the sign from left to right,

But what happens when you have two signs

Side by side, or one above the other one.

Then it becomes better when you are facing three signs

All indicating different occurrences.

It is up to you to apprehend which one takes precedence

And which one fits to your specific condition

In less than ten seconds in order not to cause a traffic congestion!

You think that a free parking is an easy one,

Don’t forget to get the ticket or you could be fined!

I am not joking, check the sign!

A sign displays a P5 in bold characters

To be followed by a minute one, indicating minutes!

You are supposed to know the district where you

Intend to park your car for the length of your stay.

Surely it would make it easier for the driver

 If the signs did not keep changing as well,

This week in my street the signs went

From a quarter of an hour to no parking,

Then to an hour parking on the left side of the road.

Do not even ask me why.

I defy anyone to come with a valid reason,

Mine is that they have run out of the quarter hour sign!

©L. Bailliet

8/2/2012