Saturday, September 20, 2008

Again, I'm nearly missing my deadline

So...some doggerel.

I.

buying a farm is like
trying to braid water

climbing the hill is like
buying the hill

being alive is like
peaches in your pajamas

growing carrots is like
combing the rain

II.

being alive is like
buying a farm

buying the hill is like
climbing the hill

combing the rain is like
growing carrots

peaches in your pajamas is like
trying to braid water



I'm not getting anywhere yet. I wrote a bunch of surreal similes, then sorted the lines (minus "is like") alphabetically and re-paired them.


trying to braid water
no better than combing the rain

so strange that the stream
can cut stone, kill children,
feed carrots and refugees

when you can watch the yellow slickers
behind Niagara

or the smooth belly of your lover
in the shower

as if through some imaginary barrier
some checkpoint of clouds


Yeah, OK, whatever. I've got to start earlier in the day if I want real results.

1 comment:

Hannah Stephenson said...

The second poem is nice! Maybe consider beginning with "The river..."

Isn't it weird that starting earlier in the day yields better results? Why is that? It's so true for me, as well.