Annual Options

[Guest_PashernatePoet_*]

EDIT 1 26/9/05

Annual

When roads are worked to a stage
Where they lose the point of taking me
Between where I haven't reached
And where I am tired of seeing,
I write a poem.

Or rather, a stanza worms its way
Up to me, yearly, without teeth
But toying with speech and the idea
Of grammar, sometimes metre and rhyme,
To charm your smiles.

And just as quickly, once its written,
The muse goes to sleep for another
365 days, give or take, until it seems
She was beheaded one week behind
The stacks of papers.

So it goes, I have exactly nineteen
Steps through verse set down by hand,
With each containing the words;
'If this happens to be the last, know that
I wrote, as well'.

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Annual

When roads are worked to a stage
Where they lose the point of taking me
Between where I haven't reached
And where I am tired of seeing,
I write a poem.

Or rather, a stanza worms its way
Up to me, yearly, without teeth
But toying with speech and the idea
Of grammar, even metre and rhyme,
Though rarely so much.

And just as quickly, once its written,
The muse is gone to sleep for another
365 days, give or take, until it seems
She was beheaded one week behind
The stacks of papers.

So it goes, I have exactly nineteen
Steps through verse set down by hand,
And each one contains the words;
'If this happens to be the last, know that
I wrote, as well'.

----------------------------------------------------

Notes: The tone here is similar to other poems I've put on this forum, so I am concerned the voice is wearing thin. Let me know if there's anything to be gained from altering the energy behind the poem, or anything else really.

[Psyche]

Hi Liam !

I've just been reading several of your website poems, and was struck by Plum, Beds (fantastic!!), Broken Toes, The Evangelist's Widow. I recognised More is Less from a previous posting of yours at MM.

I'm so pleased to find a poet who doesn't mind "rambling on", including conversations and all sorts of idiomatic expressions or whatever. Makes full use of the English language !

As for Annual, I think it's super original and profound, in an off-hand sort of way which adds to it's attraction.

Or rather, a stanza worms its way
Up to me, yearly, without teeth
But toying with speech and the idea
Of grammar, even metre and rhyme,
Though rarely so much.

This stanza is especially good. I like the way you view the stanza worming its way up to you, sort of timidly, undecidedly, offering up a dicey amount of poetic recourses for you to put on paper. "Though rarely so much" is a spectacular reflection on this "being's" rather unreliable appearance in your life, which you put at "365 days, give or take" !!!! Impressive. I hardly dare call it your Muse !!

The separation of the poem or stanza from yourself, as another entity, is great. And the 365 days interval, which I take as metaphorical or just plain whimsy on your part, is really cool.

I do hope you'll post more, I shall be looking forward to your musings very much indeed.

Cheers,
Sylvia  :turtle: