I’m always re-discovering and revising my poetry, then throwing them up on my blog and/or submitting them to poetry journals. Here are a few I was playing with today.
Prose Poem: Zen Dream
Scene 1. I’m flying thru the sky, very high, super conscious, seeing blue, only blue, incredible blue, against a backdrop of white clouds, and I’m ecstatic, so ecstatic I’m crying—not only in the dream but for real, crying in ecstacy. I’m holding onto my breasts, one in each hand. Suddenly I land with a thud on a city street. Two men approach and I offer each of them a breast.
Scene 2. I’m sitting on a street corner with Larry, eating a slab of rare London broil. A voice says to me: “You were pulled down by sex.” Pause. Another voice says: “You were pulled down by eating meat.” Pause. Then comes a third voice to say with dry finality, “You were pulled down by gravity!”
(That was literally a dream I had some time in the 1980s. Every time I read it I laugh harder; I think it’s hilarious.)
The River’s Revenge
In Mississippi so I hear
the mighty river’s raging
swelling up to crazy heights
gathering power as she goes.
Goin’ down to Louisiana –
Sorry but I can’t take you.
Tossing aside the houses in her path
little boxes all abandoned
by their weeping owners.
Evacuations. Loss. Disbelief.
Haven’t seen nothin’ like this since 1937
A traitor to my species
I’m rooting for the river:
you go, Miss Issippi!
Show them who’s in charge!
Did we think we could go on
in greedy arrogance forever?
Now we can’t ignore the force
of the river’s stunning roar–
Sorry, but you wrote the book.
I just went with the flow.
Hail Hail Rock & Roll
Two a.m. in the 7-ll
The kid behind the counter
wearing 3 pounds of silver
and 18 tin buttons.
I think to myself:
Ain’t nothin in the world
this kid and I agree on.
“Up in the mornin’ and out to school”
booms Chuck from the speakers.
I start twitchin’
and the kid cracks a smile
and we both say in unison:
Best song ever written!
Related articles
- New Poetry challenge (ruleofstupid.wordpress.com)
- Poetry – Pablo Neruda (sharonsbooks.wordpress.com)
All three poems are fabulous! Scene 2 In Zen dream is hilarious and an excellent portrayal of the importance of keeping things simple. In poem two, there are just plain “consequences.” Beautiful use of personification. And poem three brings that old adage “don’t judge a book by its cover” to life. Many thanks!