Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Day 25 ... NaPoWriMo / Poem-a-Day


Hello, everyone! Day five squared, with a square five left to go. As far as prompts go, Maureen Thorson suggests a cento. Robert Lee Brewer says, "write a poem about a sport." And Andrea Boltwood recommends a "questioning poem."

I'm afraid none of those prompts worked for me today. So, no prompt at all. Just winging it. Here's an idea from my early undergraduate courses in astronomy, when I was virtually an astronomy major, though I never ended up declared it. Tried to write this very poem 30+ years ago, but I didn't yet have the skill or the mileage to pull it off.


bary

in a binary star
two stellar bodies
of similar mass


outside
themselves



she with her etsy shop
her handmade knickknacks
her gardening and cooking blogs

both


never in the same place
never at the same time

their barycenter


not the dodge caravan minivan
that sat interminably in the garage
because neither of them drove it


where neither of them ever were
where nothing is

except

their children

amy and sam


in the snow globe
of their frozen lives



girdled by

and
her


orbits
center




revolve around
a common center


he with his job as a loan officer
his maserati
his fender stratocaster



both

coming and going
going and coming


orbiting each other

not the house in the suburbs
not the vacation home in the poconos



their barycenter
an invisible point


except

their children

sam and amy

forever
suspended


where not even snow fell
where not even their breaths steamed
where the kids stood forever

his


orbits
orbits


—Draft by Vince Gotera     [do not copy or quote ... thanks]

No poem yet from Catherine. I'll post that here when I get it. Looking forward to her poem!

Today's featured blog is MiskMask: Alphabet Soup de Jour. Head chef Misky is plating for us, with lovely presentation, sparkling and sprightly Poem-a-Day and NaPoWriMo sweets. Check out, for example, today's fun cento, channeling Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear, among others: "Onward the Noseybum." Also take a peek at Misky's other blogs on gardening, cooking, and more.

That's the end of TWO-FIVE. Doesn't that sound like CB slang? "TEN-FOUR, good buddy." Or police radio lingo: "My TWO-FIVE is in ten minutes." Anyway, you know what to do below in the comment section below . . . thanks. Ingat.




Added 4/30/12: Friends, here's Catherine's poem for Day 25. It's viciously delicious. Or deliciously vicious. Or something like that!

After School Snack

Barrel pressed cool
against her pulsing
throat, haute couture,
leather-gloved, slender
fingers demurely
caressed the trigger
before she kissed
the shell loaded just
for the occasion,
Greeted her children
with crimson mud
clotted in vacant eyes,
sharp slag barbed
in skull splinters,
empty fifth of gin,
warm milk, cookies,
red mess to clean.

—Draft by Catherine Pritchard Childress     [do not copy or quote ... thanks]

POEM-A-DAY 2012 • Pick a day in April: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30


16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, my goodness, "barycenter" is stunning. The images and strategic repetitions packed into this "binary" structure are quirky and striking and wonderful.

Misky said...

Vince, this is such a lovely tribute, and I am sincerely grateful. Thank you. :)

Now to your beautifully formed poem: WOW! I think it's just wonderful. Clever use of words and imaginative artistry.

Sandy Longhorn said...

Amazing example of how the visual part of poetry can enhance the linguistic part. Stellar! (hee hee, couldn't resist)

Circletheblock said...

You leave me pivoting and teary-eyed. Truly wonderful. Thank you, Vince. :)

Susan said...

I looked up "barycenter" to see if it was a real word. It is! But if it weren't, this poem would have added it to our language. How wonderful!

Vince Gotera said...

Jennifer ... many thanks. You're very generous.

Vince Gotera said...

It's my pleasure, Misky. I really appreciate your various blogs.

And thanks for your comment. I especially like the "wow" in caps and with an exclamation point!

Vince Gotera said...

I was thinking about you as I wrote ... you notice there's no caps or punctuation? Thoughts? And thanks for the reply.

Vince Gotera said...

Andrea ... I'm grateful for your response. Wow.

Vince Gotera said...

Susan, yes, it was one of my favorite words when I studied astronomy so MANY years ago. Have always wanted to use it in a poem ... first time it worked for me. Thanks!

Janine Bollée said...

I love neologisms, or those words that are new to me.
Your placement of the two sides increased my diplopia [sadly not alcohol fueled :-)] but when I switched to Firefox' invaluable'no style' option, I could partake and enjoy it.
Didn't 30 days seem an awful long time - 30 days ago.
It's been fun. Incredibly so, but for this non-poet the end of the line.
My iambic days are over and it's back to prose for me. Goodbye, Farewell, Adieu dear Vince, same time next year?

Sandy Longhorn said...

Yes, this is the kind of no caps, no punct that I can get behind.

Anonymous said...

I love the way you've used the metaphor and the visual representation, truly inspired. I'm a huge fan of science in poetry.

Vince Gotera said...

Aprille, I hope you're leaving 000april up ... I need to come back and savor. It was all too fast. Yes, the 30 days seemed very long but also very quick. Yes indeed, same time next year. And thanks so much for your comment. Sorry I didn't find it until today!

Vince Gotera said...

Anna, thanks so much ... I'm particularly tickled because of how good you are at visuals. Yes, indeed there should be more science in poetry.

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