Is it Slough or Slough?

Over money matters the farmer and his wife FOUGHT,

They OUGHT to give THOUGHT to what they BOUGHT!

A HOUSE on a SLOUGH, and oh, what they’ve been THROUGH

Floods can be ROUGH when you live on a SLOUGH.

If they WOULD stop and think, “ENOUGH is ENOUGH!”

They COULD SLOUGH off the SLOUGH even THOUGH it WOULD be TOUGH.

Things started to go SOUTH when their cow got a COUGH

And then refused to open his MOUTH at the TROUGH.

The farmer knew the cow needed nourishment THOUGH

Or this cow would not bring him in some DOUGH.

I don’t mean the DOUGH that is made with FLOUR,

But money----oh dear, has my poem gone SOUR?

And Is SLOUGH a verb or is it a NOUN?

Perhaps YOU’RE confused on how it SHOULD SOUND.

Would I be a LOUT to make YOU figure it OUT?

Get it right and I’ll give YOU a SHOUT!

YOU are smart, WITHOUT a DOUBT,

And when YOU figure it OUT YOU will earn some CLOUT.

But what of the bird who sits on the BOUGH?

Can I work him into this poem someHOW?

I wrote of the farmer's COW, but what of his HORSE?

Or would that take this poem LOW and off COURSE?

I’ve been working on it since this morning at FOUR,

And I’m not sure who I’m writing it FOR.

But soon I must be OUT the DOOR,

So I SHOULD finish this NOW, if not BEFORE.

But wait, back to SLOUGH, and I do mean SLOUGH,

The word that’s pronounced just like SLEW,

Which, of course, is the past tense of SLAY,

And that’s a word that sounds like SLEIGH.

But what of that farmer who lives on the SLOUGH?

Have I convinced you to care what he goes THROUGH?

Or is your tongue twisted and your eyes bugged OUT

From reading words whose pronunciation is in DOUBT?

Relax, your interest in my poem you need not FEIGN,

Truth is, I’ve noticed it starting to WANE.

I’m ending this poem, putting you out of your PAIN

No SLOUGH or SLOUGH for YOU---never AGAIN!

The END  ---   YOUR FRIEND,

Firstelle (can you tell?)