An innuendo poem uses suggestive language, double meanings, or indirect references to hint at something without explicitly stating it. While often associated with negative, demeaning, or even risqué implications, innuendo in poetry can also be playful, clever, or nuanced, allowing the reader to infer hidden or secondary meanings. The art of innuendo lies in its subtlety—what is left unsaid is as important as what is said, letting the reader uncover the deeper layers of the poem.

Building Up

The house is calm, but not for long,
A shift is near, a rumbling strong.
We’ve braced ourselves, we know the drill,
Yet whispers pass, a quiet thrill.

A storm of sorts will soon descend,
waves of joy, no need to pretend.
The signs are there, though not quite said,
A knowing glance, a breathless tread.

The bags are packed, the clocks tick low,
And still, you wonder when the show
Will start—a knock, a twist of fate—
For now, we’re left to sit and wait.

The walls, they hear, they seem to know,
A cry will pierce, a heart will grow.
We tiptoe through this silent night,
But soon, oh soon, comes new delight.

In this poem, the innuendo lies in the build-up, where the “storm” and “knock” imply both the arrival of labor and the anticipated chaos of life with a newborn, but the language leaves room for interpretation. The suggestion of something imminent is clear, but the playful avoidance of directly mentioning birth highlights the tension of waiting for the baby to arrive.