Showing posts with label poetry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label poetry. Show all posts

Sunday, October 14

Where I'm From

It started with a drop of McCoy blood,
That long ago infamous feud,
Now filmed for television in order that
My kin be laughed at and discussed
(Not that they weren't before)
And here I am, my sisters and I, seventh generation.

From three months of Sunshine, too much,
North Carolina was the right fit for us.
A little town - Mt. Hollywood, we called her.
We kids believed to be made for bigger lives.
And so they dreamed, and I wrote -
A sign of boredom at first
Now, a career choice I look forward to regretting.

From childhood, growing up like a stubborn, endless weed
Reciting Dr. Seuss before learning how to read,
From animals of both me and those as pets
Me as a cheetah, horse, wolf, growling dog,
Breathing animals: cats, dogs, fish, frozen lizard,
Oh, the green snake, hermit crab, hamsters galore,
Baby birds, week-long guinea pig, and the turtle that refuses death.

From books to falling for film
Moonstruck, Moulin Rouge, Adventureland, The Lion King
Oh, longing to do that!
Met by my mother's harsh tongue and quick sting
Still, I dreamed on a bed by the window
Where the trees' leaves fell over and over again
Until cut down, I tearfully plotted revenge.

From running barefoot on the splintered deck
Round the pool, both swimming hole and frog love boat
Never tanning, always burning my white Welsh skin
Resisting school for summer's play or tuning out to write the day away
In a world that only made sense in my head
Until college showed up and brought me here instead. 

Tuesday, September 18

A Platypus and a Can Opener

I had to write a poem about a platypus and a can opener for Intro to Creative Writing and Editing class. Afterwards, everyone in the class voted for their favorite poem!! I'm excited to say that mine actually won!!! WOHOO!!! I received a book of poetry as my prize!

A platypus and a can opener are the awkward designs
of God's nightmares.
Their beaks shine like the glint of a wedding band
catching the sunlight.
They hum and purr as they rip open food like a cat
rolling in the throes of cat nip delight.
Splashing in the water, they emerge dripping like a leaky faucet
drip, drop, splash, splish!
Then, at night, they go into the mouths of their dark caverns
yawning like the larger fish waiting for the small one to make a mistake.
Inside, they settle, nesting, resting, still
until the work of tomorrow's new day begins.

Wednesday, November 30

48. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats

Munkastrap
Book 48: Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot (A)

I have been longing to read this book of poetry since I first saw the Webber musical CATS, which is based on this text. And it was everything I had hoped it would be!!
In the edition I picked up, Edward Gorey has beautiful, realistic black and white sketches of all of my favorite cats: Old Deuteronomy, Bustopher Jones, and Mr. Mistoffelees. Their stories are classic and sweet, little tales of a cat's comings and goings in bustling London.
My favorite was "The Song of the Jellicles," where Eliot describes what makes a 'jellicle' cat! His words are pieced together in a masterful way that brings life and character to these crazy creatures. It is the perfect little book for young and old alike. Even if you don't like poetry, this book is still for everyone! There's no way, unless you're an animal hater, that you can't laugh and fall in love with these up and coming practical cats!

Friday, September 3

A Moment of William Blake

The Sick Rose

William Blake
(1794)

"O Rose, thou art sick.
The invisible worm
That flies in the night
In the howling storm

Has found out they bed
Of crimson joy,
And his dark secret love
Does thy life destroy."