Poetry Practice Pieces 2.25.15
My head hurt in my effort to complete these assignments. Ils contestaient missions! And so, I’m still working on the Dickinson one. Enjoy!
1.Five Liner
Stiff knotty hands misshapen by age
Sculpts earthy tators with black steel blade
Practicing the presence of God, he says
Can I tempt you to rest your gnarled aching grip
His neck stretches, recoils, bent on his sacred toil
2. Sound and Sense (A la Peyton Manning -“Nationwide is on Your Side”)
I picked this line from one of Barry Manilow’s popular hit, I Write the Song:
I write the songs that make the whole world sing..
I uploaded to SoundCloud the recording of me humming to the tune to get the rhythm in my head and heart. Tried Vocaroo and it didn’t work so well for this purpose.
Based on that tune, I ad libbed these words — depicting sensory images — to fit the rhythm, or as Randy calls it, “the sonic footprint.” Seriously, Peyton Manning makes it look too easy! I’m learning that poetry writing is a discipline that trains the mind to become more precise and concise. One must be willing to put up with the frustration of not finding the right word at the time one needs it.
Down coats in winter feel so snug and warm
Space heaters roar and drown Queen’s melodies
Hot soups banish bone-chilling bitter cold
Fresh made popcorn smells tart and heavenly
A Saab zips by and wrecks her pristine Dior
3. Dickinson Inspiration (c. 1862)
The clouds blocked out the sun —
They did not think I cared —
The smiling sun displeased the clouds
And five sullen days was had
And then, the snow came down
The waters in the sky —
Frozen into ice, pelted earth a foot high
Lunar New Year hit town with no glad cry
The plans to huddle, cook and eat
Were threatened and subdued
No firecrackers, steamboat feasts or greets
I wrote my friends, celebrate we ought
[Sorry, Randy, unfinished, still under construction]
I’ll go and try redrafting the older pieces now.
March 2, 2015 Update:
This is an original old draft where we were instructed to translate an idea into an image, which I didn’t do so well at. It was too abstract and Randy wanted more specific details.
February 18, 2015
What is Self
A lonely, single figure
Huddled up on an island
With no complications
Free of interwoven dependencies
No part in a tapestry of complexity
And conspiracy
Self is at liberty to worship
Kneel, express,
Move in thankfulness
For gratitude
