August challenge: Find a title

[Tzara]

It's August, which means for those of us in the Upper Hemisphere, that it's most likely hot or at least warm, even if you happen to live way up north in Tromsø, Norway. So I'm thinking that an August challenge should be a pretty easy one, at least intellectually. I don't want to distract you from the latest James Patterson thriller or that copy of 50 Shades of Grey you're trying to hide behind the covers of The Economist. I just want you to write a poem.

So how's this for simple—just find a title somewhere and write a poem that fits the title. Doesn't even have to fit the title well, or even, for that matter, at all. Just find a title and write a poem.

So what do I mean "find a title?" Find a phrase (at least two words and preferably three or more) somewhere that seems inspirational for you and write a poem about it. You could find a thread title here at Lit (my initial example, "Handjobs to Strangers," is the title of a current thread in the Story Ideas forum here at Lit), or find a phrase somewhere else on the Internet, or perhaps find something in a book or newspaper. Link the inspiration (or at least tell us where you found it) and you're good.

No form requirements, no theme requirements, not much in the way of requirements at all, other than wear plenty of sunscreen and keep yourself hydrated. I mean, it's summertime and the livin' is easy, right?

Tan safely, y'all.

 

[Tzara]

.....

 

[njoyjade]

Fabled Beauties

Unruffled leaf wake up,
The gallant ones pass by.
Their horns are armed with goodness,
To cleanse waters where they lie.

Unbending reed remember,
White manes feed the moor.
They share power and endless wisdom,
So listen and hear the lore.

From morning’s dew where faeries bathe,
To every Scotti born;
The universe would suffer
From a captured Unicorn.


Inspired by Jane Yolen's "Here There Be Unicorns"

 

[Desejo]

Dr. Horrible and Countess Olenska

Shall I come to you once, and then go home?
- Countess Olenska, the Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

I get it. I do.
I did warn you about letting this
particular genie out of the bottle
But don’t mistake me
If I could steal you away for an hour, a day
Use Dr. Horrible’s freezeray to
Stop
the world so even you would not remember it
I would.

I would do it just to know.
Then like Countess Olenska ask that question
in hope that one day
when your world thawed
you would not just sit
outside my window.

 

[Tzara]

Box of Dreams

As I opened the slim volume of Cixous,
a bookmark emerged
and fluttered to the floor like a moth,

as if exhausted
from hovering all night
around the light at the foot of the stairs.

I picked it up—a ticket for Le Métro—
and like a madeleine dipped in tea
a vision, sent

not from memory but desire,
saw us holding hands
while standing in the Tuileries

watching the toy sailboats,
waiting until we could once again
test the sturdiness of our iron bed.




Title taken from the “Forewarnings” section of Dream I Tell You (Rêve je te dis) by Hélène Cixous. The specific line is I don’t wake, the dream wakes me with one hand, the dream tugs at the drawer to the left of my bed which serves as my box of dreams…

 

[Tzara]

Unruffled leaf wake up,
The gallant ones pass by...

I like this, Jade. It has a very calming sound and the rhyme and rhythm work well.

 

[Tzara]

Shall I come to you once, and then go home?

Interesting (both kind of poignant and slightly funny) combination of sources, Desejo. I especially like that if you know Dr. Horrible, the line breaks at

Use Dr. Horrible’s freezeray to
Stop
the world​

evoke the sound of the song.


I love Dr. Horrible. I think I should go watch it again.

 

[greenmountaineer]

Freud on the Stoning of Stephen

Rembrandt van Rijn was a gutmensch
who wished to expiate his guilt
for having dallied with the maid.

Of course, the sky would open, the man
was about to die for chrissake!
in a manner of speaking, of course.

And as for Saul of Tarsus
in the painting chiaroscuro

whereas Stephen was bathed in the light,
in a manner of speaking, of course,

he looked cataleptic in the umbra,
just as he was when he fell off his horse.

The Stoning of Stephen

 

[Tzara]

Rembrandt van Rijn was a gutmensch...

Excellent and interesting, as usual, gm. Also, a Rembrandt I actually like!

 

[njoyjade]

Whole of the Moon

She stared at the painting,
granted imagination its fair chance.
She allowed her thoughts to believe, and dream;
while listening to music.
She recognized treble, heard and felt the base ;
choreographed her dance with perfect time and measure.
She grew from half seen, half heard yesteryear's';
knows today and tomorrow shine.
She finds comfort in sound and sight;
both powered, and lit, by the whole of the moon.


Title from & Inspired by: The Waterboys "The Whole of the Moon"http://youtu.be/gO5yzjCghS8

 

[CharleyH]

A 'found' poem for a 'found' title? Let me see if I can dig anything up.

Unfortunately, right now, I keep leaning toward Tarantino dialogue. lol - not good. Not good at all.

 

[njoyjade]

Unfortunately, right now, I keep leaning toward Tarantino dialogue. lol - not good. Not good at all.

~~to each their own~~

 

[Tzara]

A 'found' poem for a 'found' title? Let me see if I can dig anything up.

The poem can be a found poem, if you like, but it doesn't need to be. There are no restrictions on the poem itself. The title should be found, or taken, from someplace else. Even someone else's poem.

 

[Tzara]

Unfortunately, right now, I keep leaning toward Tarantino dialogue. lol - not good. Not good at all.

Leaning Toward Tarantino Dialogue

is a drunk propped up by a wall
waiting to be left in the alley after closing
with all the other trash

still spitting out B-movie lines
like I want your ass, I want your ass
as if in his sodden beer-Buddhist chant

he could take refuge in some venereal
Pam or Sue or Cat
and worry about the other two

sacred, secret dharmas
in another life, say the one starting tomorrow—
Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō.

So, how's about it? Uh, are you Kim or Sam?

 

[Desejo]

How to be a Woman
- Caitlin Moran

For those who
LOVE being female
planning your wedding since age 5
buying girly underwear
“Bonding with girlfriends”
The miracle of childbirth
The wonder of breastfeeding

Really? What about:
“Your’e kinda smart for a girl”
“You’d be cuter if you smiled more, sweetie”
Glass ceilings made of titanium
Assumed empathy for all animals
Babies, and things with lace
Constant worry about what you eat
and how your ass looks
Bursting into tears in the office
School bake sales, and ugh, the damn PTA
Nylons and heels.

yes, the XX biological clocks ought to be sounding alarms
Just not the one that people assume.

The best way to be a woman?
Just refuse to do it.

 

[Angeline]

Five Daily Blends*

Here it is
as prosaic as me of a morning
a few eyelashes still stuck
together my brain in low
gear all full of huh and random
dream dust my eyes

are open what could be
more prosaic than talking
heads yadda yadda fill
the screen fill in the blank
it could be any day but
here it is

and you don't look so hot
yourself honey but then
you ease closer,
kiss my forehead and when
our hands touch
our whole bodies smile.

O sweet caffeine dark and earthy!
that first sip (just like you promised)
is God-like.


*Einstein Brothers Bagels
Darn Good Coffee
Five Daily Blends

 

[greenmountaineer]

Pilgrim's Progress Redux

As I wandered the arid Holy Land,
I toured an archaic art exhibit
And saw the spitting images of hate,
Directing their sticks at other stick men.

It was more than agricultural hate;
It was good or evil depending upon
The tribe or empire where you were from,
Mohammedan, Hebraic, or Christian,

And when I left for the Dome of the Rock,
The Wailing Wall, and Church of All Nations,
I toppled into the Slough of Despond,
Which, strange though it was, flooded the desert.

 

[njoyjade]

Live Life Well

Become the honesty;
dancing to church bells when they ring.

Offer parts of yourself freely;
Sing loud or hum softly to the open music box.

Become your own ruler;
listening to your voice, seeing your light.

Offer humanity a better game;
build a castle with a welcome sign etched in stone.

Stand on history's mountain top;
then come down to share the bounty and the work.



Inspired by Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" http://youtu.be/9ldOuVuas1c

 

[Tzara]

One of the cool things about starting a thread here is that sometimes people come and write some really good poems based on your dumb, or at least not very well thought-out, ideas.

So,

• Desejo writes an excellent poem about what it is like to be female and the frustrations of that and, which, oddly is based on a woman who is on the back page of my current Time magazine.

• The always excellent Angeline writes a wowzer poem about coffee (gear all full of huh and random is so fabulous a line I want to prostrate myself before it). But what really gets me about her poem is this:
  and you don't look so hot
  yourself honey but then
  you ease closer,
  kiss my forehead and when
  our hands touch
  our whole bodies smile.​
  That is what happy love is like. Well, I think so, anyway. And, apparently, Ange does too. So there.

• greenmountaineer, who may be my most favoritist poet here at Litland, takes on John Bunyan and delivers his usual thoughtful, "makes me re-evaluate things" poem. Damn him.

• And njoyjade gives us some good life advice with her poem.

Y'all are writing some excellent stuff, people.

Thanks.

 

[champagne1982]

Free Pussy Riot

Perhaps human rights is at issue
even when they knew the price
of their foray into a barely tolerated
"new" religious presence
within a communist regime.

Even when they knew to speak
out beneath icons of an old faith
and send violent prayers
to a mythical goddess for freedom
must end in a fire-hosing
down of their hysteria.

Perhaps the president sits
in misogynistic fear behind
the red walls of the Kremlin
even when he has put the Pussy Riot
under glass so that he can sleep.

 

[Angeline]

One of the cool things about starting a thread here is that sometimes people come and write some really good poems based on your dumb, or at least not very well thought-out, ideas.

So,

• Desejo writes an excellent poem about what it is like to be female and the frustrations of that and, which, oddly is based on a woman who is on the back page of my current Time magazine.

• The always excellent Angeline writes a wowzer poem about coffee (gear all full of huh and random is so fabulous a line I want to prostrate myself before it). But what really gets me about her poem is this:
  and you don't look so hot
  yourself honey but then
  you ease closer,
  kiss my forehead and when
  our hands touch
  our whole bodies smile.​
  That is what happy love is like. Well, I think so, anyway. And, apparently, Ange does too. So there.

• greenmountaineer, who may be my most favoritist poet here at Litland, takes on John Bunyan and delivers his usual thoughtful, "makes me re-evaluate things" poem. Damn him.

• And njoyjade gives us some good life advice with her poem.

Y'all are writing some excellent stuff, people.

Thanks.

So I was racking my brains for a title and I couldn't settle on anything and I looked at my coffee mug, which has Five Daily Blends written on it and there you go. One never knows where a poem is lurking. So thank you Tzara for the good words and thank you eagleyez, who makes my whole body smile AND brings me coffee every morning.

I am so impressed with the writing coming out of this forum of late. It's quite inspirational. Kudos poets (in this thread and elsewhere).



ETA: Champ, so glad to see someone chose Pussy Riot. Such a great title and such a compelling story. Freedom of speech is a precious thing.

 

[njoyjade]

The Lady

Her outer shell is weakened,
she is open to the sea;
a true pearl.

Her inner passion stirs the truth,
she has an orchid's song;
a rare note.

Her offering's are beautiful,
she is giving her all;
a priceless gift.

Her life has been an adventure,
she has written history;
a prolific poet.

Her yearning's have been validated,
she is asking every question;
a burning light.

Her cravings are for answers,
she has willingly shared;
a never ending source.

Her voice is filled with spirit,
she is a wishing well;
a power from within.

Her teachings can be heard,
she has the memories;
a glimmer of hope.



Inspired by: "The Lady in the Lake" Sir Walter Scott

 

[greenmountaineer]

A New Family of Spider Is Found

It's like poetry; a fan club of few
who drool at arachnids on some white paper.

"It took forever to figure out
what the thing wasn't before they told us

what it was. We had to mail it to Frisco,"
Liamword Wordsmith recalled when issued

a genre for its fierce claws, Trogloraptor,
"as tenacious as we spelunkers are,"
said Liam who, well, looked like an egghead,

crawling with writer's cramp under stalactite
shadows where headlamps bob in the dark."


News segment story title on my local TV station.

 

[njoyjade]

Golden Truth

Oh, how much I have learned, yet
denying what I know.
Meanwhile it's you, my beautiful friend,
who continues to pretend,
that all the blame lands at my door.

Oh, how far this has come; too far past
the point of enough; time spent.
You've been searching for way too long.
Time has been wasted on fear. Therefore,
I have to take up the slack for another.

I have blossomed while the beautiful stem
right next to me has just become a bud.
Should I hold back, so the other can catch up; for,
you have chosen to censor your own growth
by choosing status quo.

I have long since known the truth; it is Golden.



Inspired by "Gold"
http://youtu.be/fApxDBYeMJU

 

[Tzara]

I don't really want to gush, but perhaps I should. Oh, hey, two more njoyjade poems, plus another greenmountaineer, plus! a champie poem.

You guys are making me all weepy eyed (I know, I know, not an image you all want to carry around during your normal working day).

Forget about my own forlorn self. Good poems here! Ahoy!