Wednesday, June 24, 2009

the continuing torture of being made to read my poetry

Since I'm pretty sure this one's not going to make the cut,
I offer you a glimpse into the worst of what I've been writing these past few weeks.
Trying to put together a manuscript that should take most people a year... in 3 months?
Sooooo me. HA!
You'll all come buy the book for, say, $11.95, right?! :)

SYMPHONIA
"The stains will require explanation" -Jon Woodward

Musicians are people you pick up
Off the street in Glasgow

Honest instruments, sideways flapping
through slender music

You take them back to your kitchen--
they wash dishes and offer legal advice,

Convert you to their six-string religion,
Each string a tenant of accumulated sound

The supreme truth being
that yesterday contains the original experience
though it never outlives a lonely whistle,
Reasoning of the mouth

And the night eats up the spectrum of B Flat Major
And their laughter eats up half the house
And their stories go further than lyrics
And their sleep goes deeper than an empty bed

Clothes closed up the middle
with stitches like burst bagpipes.

They are plaid
They are felt
They are boot heel black
on the blue kitchen chairs

Now they're eating shredded coconut by the handfuls
Coconut in their mouths
Coconut in their beards
Coconut on the smiling stone floor
And this ends by taking the top off a circle.

~Jennifer P.

*and remember....copyrighted---yadda, yadda, yadda.....just because it might not make the cut doesn't mean that it's not still mine and won't be chopped up and used as pieces in other poems. I call the ones like that my "poetry casseroles".

Thanks for reading. Now move along....wait--say something first....then move along :).

12 comments:

wedogmomma said...

My mind flipped through pictured scenes like FFW a movie.
It was a fun ride :D

........moving along.

Carrie said...

I just sat here and read this twice and let my mind picture each line as a scene in my head.
Love it!

So, just to stick my nose where it may not belong. Have you ever thought of teaching? Honestly if I had a junior high or high school teacher who had the passion and love for writing like you do it may have made a difference in how I felt about it. You would be great.
Plus you would totally be the cool teacher everyone hoped to get. :)

Brittany Ann said...

I's true, that thing Carrie said about being a teacher...I had a creative writing teacher in high school and he made a big difference in my writing and how I looked at other people's writing. You write beautifully.

Elena said...

I hope you keep the coconut "casserole" bit and use it someday in a poem all about food. :)

Stu Pidasso said...

Poetry casserole and 1234
a needed break from the doldrum of my morning. Plain white T and lukewarm coffee. Throw in some White Stripes (love 'em). A sniffle, a sigh, a quaint chuckle at myshelf and back to work. Thanks, CG......and yes.....$11.95 would be a steal.

'T' said...

As a musician, thanks. Besides certain sacred places and personal prayer music has taken me closer to heaven than anything. TINIEL xo

Susie said...

I love all your writing:-)

Priscila said...

I'm no poet or well read girl. But that's a very nice one Jenn! I like how some words that don't usually go together can still portray a perfect picture like"They are boot heel black on the blue kitchen chairs"
I love it!

Good job and good luck on the 12months work crammed in 3months!

Melissa Lester said...

Did I miss a previous announcement about a book deal? This post sounds very promising. I would agree that $11.95 would be a steal -- especially if you put one of your model portfolio pictures on the book jacket.

Mama Nut said...

A poetry book? Woohoo! Good luck picking and choosing and refining and mixing and chopping and choosing! I look forward to an autographed copy someday!

Brad said...

Although I like the entire work, I particularly enjoyed the six-string religion couplet. If the poem doesn't make it I would hope that this will live on. Keep 'em coming!

3 Bay B Chicks said...

Jennifer P. writes poetry. Wow! I'm impressed.

You've got mad, mad skillz. Every poem that I try to write turns into a bad limerick. It is not pretty.

I would totally buy your book...especially if some of your "poetry casseroles" are included. :)

-Francesca