'I was in Plato's closet the other day,'
says the cash register
lady at the bookstore cafe'...
 | |
| chalk wall, Charlottesville, VA |
Who we choose to include/
exclude says much of who
we R & R
we that much [ ]
it's funny to watch people
become that which they detest
because those you detest
will meet you halfway if you let
them
toads crossing roads
SPLAT bNeath
tires of their own progress
& we call it marketing
Noah built an Ark for two of each
i wonder how he chose which one to take
& which would blow bubble below
as you rise
if you are looking for deeper meaning
in this verse, toss a coin, in the park
fountain, but remember
whose face adorns it
DJs drop beats, pastors preach
& i, just a broke(n) porch swing
squeak-ing as it sways in the breeze.
 | ||
| trash can sticker, Charlottesville, VA |
A song fills the vacuum of space
stars think it's sung only for them
not a speck in their own eye.
 |
| Image by Manu Pombrol (via Magpie Tales) |
a glass always
viewed half/empty
will never be
full/man
~~~~~
...to someone i can't see, as she hands me change
& a warm cup, then turns away.
written for Magpie Tales and completing 30 poems in 30 days for National Poetry Month.
Posts
80 comments:
Love the Noah allusion, the idea that he had to pick and choose in a last moment of panic is an interesting thought. Nice stuff as always, Brian.
"blow bubble below." (((snapping fingers)))
"Who we choose to include/
exclude says much of who
we R & R
we that much [ ]"
Love this passage...means a lot to me and how I think.
You were in fine form today, Brian. Yes..funny to watch people become what they detest; or maybe not so funny but often happens. And what we include and exclude def speaks reams.
I specially like the take on wrath and (con)sumption. The word play of who we R & R , the full/man, is very nice.
Yeah for the last day of NaPoWrMo ~
Cheers and Happy Sunday to you ~
I recognized the pessimism part of this, probably because I am one.
"those who you detest will meet you half way if you let them."
So true. And in many ways, we're already them.
This was great. Read it twice and it's still brewing in my brain.
Congrats on your 30 poems. Amazing!
yeah, sometimes I think people hate those idiosynchrosies they gripe about b/c they have them!
I've enjoyed your poems each day... glad you decided to do it.
"toads crossing roads
SPLAT bNeath
tires of their own progress
& we call it marketing"
don't know why but this line made me smile... or maybe smirk?
Yeah I wonder how he chose
Who stays and who goes
As there had to be more than two
Vying to be part of his crew
And ass-umptions one should watch indeed
As an ass-urances from those should make you take heed
Pheeeew...a lot of ground covered in this one. as long as it was just smoke blowing out his ass, we needn't worry too much... LOL
What else can I say...again!!
"DJs drop beats, pastors preach
& i, just a broke(n)porch swing
squeak-ing as it sways in the breeze"
You must have a following, that's for certain. Only then your words (song or sermon) may mean anything.
Hey! who is listening to the ordinary guy, the 'broke(n)porch swing' the 99% out there?
Great write Brian!
Hank
another great write Sir Brian... and those four last lines, are awesome!...
JJRod'z
Such a strong tumble of words. Nice!
"& i, just a broke(n) porch swing
squeak-ing as it sways in the breeze."
- love that so much, also
"A song fills the vacuum of space
stars think it's sung only for them"
and the title, brilliant
congratulations on completing the challenge!
Oh Brian, I should have been reading you all month. This is an exquisite exploration of culture and angst, full of archetypal images... ooo la la!
Gritty and raw to my reading. Nice.
Growing into what we detest hit me on one level--man I am certainly like my father when disciplining or commanding respect with the kids.
I'd like to hear you performing this poem -- I almost can, the rhythm is so good.
it's really a squeeze
having to please
with so many words to choose from!
I love all of these!
i probably went a little overboard with this one...smiles...i was 4 poems short of the goal so i mashed in 4 in one shot...
I don't know why, but last one was funny to me. I like humor through your two poems.
http://leah-jamielynn.typepad.com/blog/2012/04/watch-read-and-get-inspired.html
Interesting read, Brian. I really like (con)Sumption.
But this one...
"Noah built and Ark for two of each..."
Did you mean "and" or "an"? Is this a typo? I'm not sure.
I know what you do with words but this one threw me.
There's a lot of wisdom here:
"those you detest
will meet you halfway if you let
them"
"& i, just a broke(n) porch swing
squeak-ing as it sways in the breeze"
~~~~~~~~~
"to someone i can't see, as she hands me change
& a warm cup, then turns away"
No one ever listens until it's too late.
rosemarymint.wordpress.com
I'm not sure that God chose which individual animals that would board the ark and the ones who would perish. May have been first come first serve. (I'm going with the retailer motif here). This was a wonderfully strange journey through your head Brian.
Whew! The line about being the porch swing is my favourite of all. Good work. Wish I had 10% of the innate poetry you have.
You're a machine!
Catching up with you here ... like I ever could! We are them ... we just don't know it.
"I was in Plato's closet the other day,'says the cash register lady at the bookstore cafe..."
Hi! Brian...All Of your poetic words in your [4] poems are very thought-provoking [leaving your readers, with food for thought] as you complete your [4o days and 4o nights?...lol]
30 days 30 poems National Poetry marathon.
Tks, for sharing the images[Especially, the image Of the man in the glass]too!
...to someone i can't see, as she hands me change & a warm cup, then turns away.
deedee ;-D
Great stuff, Brian.
I especially love the title of your mag.
=)
This is radical!
Thankyou for rubbing out the pages and pages of mathematical equations and expressing the key to the universe so simply , professor Brian
Brian, I really dig these two. Love the sharp sighted philosophy here. Each piece has a major thought that just resonates.
it's funny to watch people
become that which they detest
because those you detest
will meet you halfway if you let
them
and
the consumption piece in the second. Very cool. thanks
smiles...your variations in b minor are surely interesting tunes..a bit melancholic like minor compositions are by nature, framed by that cash register lady encounter and taking us from there to different places-- and sometimes a squeaking porch swing has more to say than some politicians or preachers..just saying...smiles
Being a rather cynical person myself, I enjoyed the tone and message of today's verses.
I could never contemplate the universe in the bath, but my dad did/and often.
rel
So many truths in your verse, Brian. A great one to round off NaPo. Like you, I'm glad to have completed NaPoWriMo. It was fun but hard work too.
If there's no deeper meaning, it's because this is the kind of poem that needs no deeper meaning - but I'm still not convinced. (Deeper than what?)Thanks for another cracker.
I like the ironic backdrop of their messages.
love the half-full cup... and the warm one with change :) Are you glad April is over?
That’s a clever Mag. Viewing the glass half-empty?
From one broken porch swing to another - well done.
These felt like they had negative/angry undertones in them. It's a lot easier to judge others than it is to take a look at ourselves sometimes. Our own environment and connections definitely play a large part of our outlook on life.
If you are making a wish in a fountain- be sure to be grateful too!
fun multi post. Thanks.
Wow!!
Making a wish..making a splash...making your mark. And we all fall into the circus parade.
Hugs
SueAnn
Lots of material to ponder in this one bri--all sewn together with a consistent thread of random thoughts--it reminds me of the kind of thinking you do when you have a high fever, jumping from thing to thing, yet revolving the same sort of feeling in each--the short verse about the stars really hit me. And the opening lines and closing, bookend everything with just the right touch of illogical reason.
I love how this flows, from the cafe' through a dozen thoughts and back again--all those different levels where the mind takes us in an instant. Especially like that brief moment of almost self-reflection/critique:
"if you are looking for deeper meaning
in this verse, toss a coin, in the park
fountain, but remember
whose face adorns it"
You're words never disappoint, Brian!
That first poem is very profound, Brian. Nicely said. Yes, today marks the 30 in 30, I for one, am glad it is over.
Pamela
Love the rhythm of this writing.
and quite the finale it is!
i love all of it, the form is exquisite... the interplay between all four pieces is perfect.
oh, the humanity....
Some amazing word play here Brian.....i love that last line " a glass viewed half empty will never be a full man"!
Honestly? Still trying to get past the little dude in the mason jar! Some killer lines laced thru this weave, as always Poet, but who we choose to exclude speaks strongest to me...and know doubt about me...Way to blow it up for your final offering for National Poetry Month!
Hi Brian - I love the glass/full empty man.
K.
Good stuff all around. A lot of insight here on the human condition. Thanks for the brain exercise. Vb
Your wordplay is delightful, Brian. Your poems have a wonderful jazzy quality-it's like listening to cool music at an outdoor cafe (perhaps in C'ville on the downtown Mall!) and just groovin' along.
it's funny to watch people
become that which they detest
because those you detest
will meet you halfway if you let
them
Like the rhythm today. Btw, I think we may have been near the same page today. :)
I'm always amazed at those who choose to burn bridges...and in the name of half full...
Congratulations on NaPoWriMo, your ending with fireworks! I still have mine to write - eek! I love these, love the title, and the porch swing seems to me to be a maestro.
A great round-off to your 30 in 30. Thanks.
"toads crossing roads
SPLAT bNeath
tires of their own progress
& we call it marketing"
I may have to embroider that in cross-stitching. Oh. Right. I don't sew.
Well, Brian, the comments are a love fest. Laughed all the way through, except where something that felt serious smacked me upside the face.
GREAT dance with this one, my friend.
I like the way you 'stylized' your poetry today! Thought-provoking words, Brian!
wow you're going a bit all places to day, are you?
Congratulations on your 30 poems thingy. Plato's Closet...I bet he had some things hidden in there just like the rest of us. So many good lines in this one I won't even bother...:-)
God - you can say it, man......!
*Pondering heavily*
Still don't understand. lol.
Abstract is definitely not in my wheelhouse.
From 26 to 30 in one fell swoop! Ha. Now you can enjoy that squeezing swing. You earned a rest!
NICE ! Well done :)
woah - cool - ok love the guy in the glass- going back to re-read - love your stuff!
A full quart of neat!
you always know how to grab me Brian, amazing first line, and it just keeps going
This is so intriguing, very stream-of-consciousness (with a healthy dose of the subconscious, I suspect).
A very interesting piece of work here.. looking forward to more visits to your blog! :)
I've often thought about the bizarreness of the story of the Ark and how animals had to be chosen.
what a fun selection of poems...interestingly combined.
I love the way you play with language and form.
Interesting stuff.
I love the way you can make me smile and think with the same poem.
the illusion with Noah was well done, also lol love the graphic with the guy in a jar, heheh
After I read your pieces, I always have a certain look on my face. That was a compliment.
i like the connotations of plato's closet and i like the blowing smoke up the ass
renal test
Like the glass half empty will never be full--so true. Optimism and hope keep us going.
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