One word: brave Writers Island: Gift
I am not brave she said
there’s monkeys in my head
they scream and rattle
bars and scars and would you
please just take a look
the answer wasn’t in the book
she held the light and looking in
I saw the wires tangled tin
and copper mangled how
the mess was made
she didn’t say but I
knew time had passed and
problems massed and
worsened with neglect
prone to misery abject
the words won’t come and
ideas fade to boredom made
from separation
objectification instant
gratification no easy solution
too much thought pollution
I gave a description
of the prescription
get out of your head
you see where that led
set shoulders stiffened back
try to fake the things you lack
beat it with your tiny fists
always planning making lists
striking out against the tide
better to just let it ride
don’t hide your pride
is not your friend surrender
doesn’t mean the end you’re
in the stream the dreams
of other lives will carry you
just sink into the link to
all the waters flooding surging
changing paths and paths converging
lines will blur and colors soften
even birds ride currents aloft
let it go and simply float
and maybe
sometimes
rock the boat
Whoa, Girlie-Q, this was awesome. I usually stay away from these skinny word daggers down the left-hand side of the page (unless they’re Paschal’s), but this was… Well, it was a very human problem I identify with altogether too much, those miserable monkeys… Let it go and simply float and maybe sometimes rock the boat… Ah, OK, let me think about that some… ; )
the monkeys were giving me a helluva week. right now I’m floating with nothing but the nose showing…you are welcome to join me – leave the stinking monkey thinking behind for awhile.
I enjoyed reading your lovely poem Dee 🙂
What a fantastic opening line..I know your poetry stands fantastically alone but I can see how the issues of ‘being’ you’ve stated so succinctly here are worked out in the characters of your fictional pieces (if that makes sense?)
Is writer’s island another site? Am thinking of expanding and value your recommendations for other places to play!
Thanks as ever for your visit..Jae
Yes – Writers Island is another writing site – they post a prompt every Saturday. I hang out there and at Three Word Wednesday. Both links are in my sidebar under prompts. I would say you are probably right about those states of being. I imagine I am working out myself through all of it. Don’t we all to some extent? How linked is the subconscious with the imagination? I’ve been doing a lot of nothing lately and maybe that’s why I am having some issues with writing. Having the time to write doesn’t seem to equal being able to. That was how I felt with that poem. Just throw up my hands and go under – surrendering to whatever instead of trying to force it. Once I let myself do that, the poem worked itself out.
There is a long list of websites with prompts in my sidebar – feel free to ramble through and save any you like.
Thanks Dee – I found the prompts just after I left my comment. How do I follow your blog by the way? I have subscribed but it doesn’t seem to come up on my homepage as a site I follow? (I am a bit of a technical dinosaur so could be missing something obvious here like scrolling downwards!)
I have had similar troubles with getting into pieces of late. It gets you like that sometimes doesn’t it? You never seem to fall behind in consistency even if you feel that way. This poem was very honest though. I could really feel that (the light indeed!)
I think the subconscious is the imagination – if I could write what I dream it would be great but that 3am grapple for a pen never yields much (coherent anyway)..
Jae
I’m sorry it took so long to answer this. I went hunting for a way to follow this blog. Your blog is hosted by blogger which is part of the google family. Mine is on WordPress. I found a plugin that is supposed to let you do the same but either it doesn’t work or I haven’t installed it correctly. I will play with the setting and see if I can get it to work. If I get it working I’ll let you know 🙂
Thanks Dee – no worries, I just thought I’d missed something obvious…I receive your postings via hotmail so am in the loop! Jae
Love this poem, says so much and feels all so familiar. But, also like your thoughts on imagination and the subconscious. Wonderful stuff.
Elizabeth
Self to self this is, eh? Kind of water is it that you and the expat are soaking in? Just shy of cold, with some tubing current sounds right to me.
if you can’t beat it…the Guadalupe and a tube sounds pretty fine to me right now 🙂
Dee, love this. I have a longstanding acquaintance with monkeys of all sorts, mostly roaming my brain. Manic monkeys and monkeys with sad little faces, taking turns as my chemistry dictates. But the windup is the best… I have learned to float! Amy
I forget sometimes and struggle but I’m learning 🙂
Some great mind moments in this one. Excellent.
Wonderful piece, Dee. It is delicious the way it trips off the tongue. Bravo!
Wonderful work! I enjoyed every line! Thanks for sharing.
-Weasel
Anthony – thank you, the monkeys have been very bad lately but I’m hoping to feed them chocolate and make them happy.
Brenda and Weasel – thanks for stopping by and for your kind comments!
oh, ho ho. I know about monkey brain. Shame on you for editing while you write. LOL — learned about monkey brain in my memoir writing class, and I’m all about kicking those monkeys out — but what a struggle! I love your rhymes, your flow and the frustration beating around the entire poem. I’m a fan. =)
Aww Thank you Linda. The monkeys have been drinking and partying and throwing trash around – it’s time to send them back to the zoo!