Saturday, February 13, 2010

'Lyrics' Poem

So, Flash, my sister-in-law, set me a challenge - to make a poem from lyrics of different songs. It sounded pretty fun, until I started thinking about all the different songs, and wondering how to narrow down the choices to a managable number. I hemmed and hawed and agonized over it long enough, that she decided to give me a helping hand. About a week ago we met for dinner, where she produced a large envelope with the words 'Mission Impossible' scrawled across it. Even though she warned me that the contents would self destruct upon opening, I looked inside. There I found a CD and printed lyrics of 18 songs she had chosen for me. So, with that in mind I went home, listened and read and pondered. Then I chose a bunch of other songs and wrote the poem that follows.

(Note to Flash: I am currently working on a poem based on your songs, and will post that soon :o) I can't do things the normal way, after all!)

Clarification: I used lyrics verbatim, with the exception of anything in parenthesis. Usually these are pronouns or articles that I have changed for agreement, etc.

Lyrics Poem #1

Shoeless I go through life
Spinning in (my) emptiness
(But) I don't regret a thing

I've been living in a sea of anarchy
Beneath the pale moonlight
And there's such a lot of world to see

On shooting stars
(I) sailed (a)cross the wilderness,
Touching things that say do not touch

The tolling of the iron bell
Calls the faithful to their knees
With dark foregodings

Tell me when will I learn to resist
Wanting things
When the stars are bright

Somehow it seems colder now-
I spoke too soon
And how much did it cost?

I want to go back to
Believeing in everything
And knowing nothing at all

Men are a mystery
Even to themselves
But in my life, I love you more...

(Mixed up lyrics from Floyd, Beetles, Cheryl Crow, Maroon 5, Incubus and The Olympics, Evanescence, Jethro Tull)

Monday, February 8, 2010

Sunday Scribblings - Message

Some weeks earlier in my parsuings I found a site called Sunday Scribblings.
Basically they give a word for anyone who chooses to write about each week. There are also a number of people who participate and have links there and I have decided to do so as well. Below is my first Sunday Scribbling using their writing prompt 'MESSAGE'

My Message

Touching and intimate
between us two
Pressing close,
Transfer of energy and warmth
From my fingers to your skin -
But here's the rub:
I am not clear
And you misunderstand
My massage

So, I couldn't resist...had to go for the cheap play on words - the mixing up of 'message' and 'massage'.
Emblamatic of how words, actions and intentions between two people can be misunderstood.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Winter Haikus #1-3

Have been reading Julie & Julia, and realized right off that it's quite different from the movie that inspired me to start this blog. I am fast coming to the realization that even though her blog was wildly popular, mine will differ from Julie Powell's in several important ways. For starters, I will not be writing about the condition of my uterus, ovum or any other details from my gynecological exams (she does in the book, see pages 5 and 6, just fyi). Another difference is that mine will have the word f*** markedly less. I'm not a linguistic prude or anything, it's just that I think use of that word decreases with the addition of children into one's life. And if you checked out pages 5-6 of J&J out of curiosity from the above reference, you will know that she didn't have children - at least when she wrote that. Of course there will also be less food, which is a shame, because when writing about cooking there are all kinds of terrible, embarrassing and highly entertaining accidents to write about. Whereas, when reporting on messing up the cadence of a line of iambic pentementer is much more difficult to make it sound interesting. But, be that as it may, I press on.

Here are a few haikus to start things off.
(Quick reminder: haiku is a 3 line poem with 5 syllables in the first and third lines and 7 in the second)

Haiku #1

Bright hanging dagger
Sparkling as it threatens
The icicle falls

Haiku #2

Soft, gentle water
Expanding as it freezes
Overcomes hard steel

Haiku #3

Cold, white, sparkling
Rests the snow beneath my feet
Crunching with each step

And yes, this is Wisconsin in winter - brrrrrr!

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

February - Short Stuff & Haiku

Wow - January is over! I have now completed 1/12th of my resolution. (which reminds me, 5 out of 4 people don't understand fractions - but I digress) I have written a little bit of poetry, and a whole lot of rambling, random (another r-word would be good here...) rubbish! That's the word. So, now I am faced with February, a difficult little month - at least in Wisconsin. So, for February, as it is a short month, maybe short, little poems. You know, couplets, haikus, maybe even limricks. But they are so short, it's gotta be more than one per week. Maybe several, or a couple shorties and one other poem of any kind. (But don't hold your breath for another sonnet - oof!)

So, this is not new, but here is the best haiku I think I have ever written:
(but as haiku is not a big part of my life, that's not saying a lot O.o)

The bowl of my life
Sits empty on the sideboard
A decoration

Not an overly cheerful little ditty, but I like it.