National Poetry Month, Day 5

I've been concerned lately about a conversation I had several weeks ago with someone whose tastes in music I respect but who doesn't seem to respect mine. Really you wouldn't believe how many insightful things I've thought of to say to him were we to ever have a similar conversation anytime soon. The problem though is that I can't think of any of those great insights right now to give you an example of what I'm talking about. It's kinda like when you're browsing for movies at a rental store and you knew there were tons of movies you wanted to see but now that you were confronted with so many options your mind was drawing too many blanks. But now I wonder if that's even a good metaphor anymore, you know considering all the rental stores are going out of business and everyone either just rents from those little boxes at grocery stores and gets the shit mailed to them and really it's pretty damn convenient. But yeah, the metaphor. It'll speak to our generation, but the next won't have an idea what I'm talking about. Kinda like how you and I remember going to restaurants all the time that had smoking sections. That was a pretty common thing at one point. Hell, I even remember sitting in the smoking section in high school. They let us smoke, but they knew we weren't 18 yet. And really, that was pretty great. But how do you explain anything to someone who didn't grow up around the same time as you? It's like we've all time-stamped, branded with Cartoon Show X, Cult Kid Classic Movie Y, Video Game System Z. But that shit changes like every 5 years, and depending on where you come into the conversation, you think the previous 5 years before you entered the conversation were absolute shit. My time stamp dictates that I hate Guns 'N Roses and love Nirvana, and just today a coworker roughly my age asked me why I wasn't listening to Nirvana on Kurt Cobain's "Suicide Day" and I laughed because that's the sort of date I used to remember. And really it's not that I don't like Nirvana anymore, it's just that it's hard work to listen to them without that giant rock-star myth swallowing the whole thing, and no wonder kids five years younger than me can't get with it. They didn't get a chance to separate it from the story.

National Poetry Month, Day 4

I got sick today. I remember this happening last poetry month too. All I have for you is an inverted haiku:

If a "before and after"
shot showed a decline
we'd lose faith in commercials

National Poetry Month, Day 3

The neighbors know her best for that time

she climbed onto the park bench on the fourth

and announced to the crowd on hand

that animals are just monsters we got used to.

So now whenever they pay her out

for babysitting their four-year-old daughter

they never fail to remind her that to them

she'll always be that little girl who thought

she knew something about monsters.

National Poetry Month, Day 2 - Lyrics

This is my attempt at a ballad/pop song. Haven't done one in a while. Also wanted to take a shot at Decemberists-ish storytelling, though I don't know if I pulled that one off.

"Intermission"

I want to watch the curtains closing
and strike the stage for the next act.
so I can retreat to the green room
and plan a way to win you back.

Because
I'm not jumping
the shark
in front of you

So we'd been going through the motions,
but I'd kept my dignity intact,
it's just that slackening of tension
that's made me slowly come off track.

Because
I'm not jumping
the shark
in front

What difference between plots twists and betrayal?
Your seat lies vacant as the lights dim overhead.

The orchestra replays the themes
the intermission sets the scene

An hour left to go tonight
I can only hope I end it right.

National Poetry Month, Day 1

The few of you who follow this blog regularly know that I haven't been posting much since the oh eleven started. Sorry. I've been busy. Thankfully some of the busy was writing, but a lot of it was editing. I'm getting some free time again, however, and just in time for National Poetry Month.

Like last year, these will all be sketches. Some of them won't be good, but the cool thing about blogging is that it allows the readers a glimpse more into the process of writing. One of these days I'm going to collect my favorite pieces from the past couple years, maybe polish them up a bit, and release them as a book. Hopefully a few of these new ones will make it in.

Finally, I'm always a fan of the interactive process, and would love suggestions. If there's a subject you want me to cover, a form you want me to try, a restriction you want to give me, a time limit you want to impose, etc., let me know. I'll do it.

Also: nachos.

-------------------------------------
"Scroll Over. Seriously. Otherwise You Won't Be Impressed."

Thus I was sent with a thought.
I agree, and all words don't have a storage time limit
while some others are rejects.
I'm at that time when an argument depends
on whether you are disappointed,
and you think that you don't get angry,
and with simplicity you thought you were able
to still prove anything to somebody,
do you make mistakes about the sense
of the justice that you got?

90s Off - Catchup

Yay, more 90s off. Not only have I missed posting here recently, but I've also missed my favorite method of time-waste. So, to recap:

Hoffie, with Everclear's "Strawberry"


Hoffie again, with the Eels' "Climbing to the Moon"


These happened over a month ago, but today the Bearded One chimed in with Dr. Dre's (and covered by Ben Folds) "Bitches Ain't Shit"


I was inspired, so I went for the Fugees' "Mista Mista"


Fun round all in all. Me approves.

Warmup

She tried on the red Korean high heels
and put them on the small worn suitcase
doubling as a display stand walked
to the front door with the bell

and I looked at the handle worried
that I'd pull when I should push

but she stopped before I could find out
looked at me like she needed permission
tried the shoes on again while I tweeted
something she said earlier about her
wardrobe being too full to hold Narnia.

I bought four records and ten movies that day
and one of them was Batman's sex tape.