Line Byline

A Poem on the Underground Wall
--Simon and Garfunkel

The last train is nearly due,
The underground is closing soon,
And in the dark deserted station,
Restless in anticipation,
A man waits in the shadows.

His restless eyes leap and scratch,
At all that they can touch or catch,
And hidden deep within his pocket,
Safe within its silent socket,
He holds a colored crayon.

Now from the tunnel's stony womb,
The carriage rides to meet the groom,
And opens wide and welcome doors,
But he hesitates, then withdraws
Deeper in the shadows.

And the train is gone suddenly
On wheels clicking silently
Like a gently tapping litany,
And he holds his crayon rosary
Tighter in his hand.

Now from his pocket quick he flashes,
The crayon on the wall he slashes,
Deep upon the advertising,
A single worded poem comprised
Of four letters.

And his heart is laughing, screaming, pounding
The poem across the tracks rebounding
Shadowed by the exit light
His legs take their ascending flight
To seek the breast of darkness and be suckled by the night.

Heh. It's not like I've really been writing, which doesn't help. But I did get a tiny spark of inspiration traveling down the highway last week, and this little poem/song snippet stemmed from that. Hopefully some more inspiration will float my way (and I'll have a pen and paper handy, instead of writing this on the edge of a receipt. e_e).







There's a pillow lying on the highway;
I wonder if I should pull over and rest my head?
Watch the feathers fly, as the cars pass by;
Maybe this is what it feels like to be dead?

Aren't you glad you didn't turn on the light?

There is so much more to admit in the darkness.
Tongue gliding along the pit of silence, reaching out
to sleep...then the wind touches

the window and scraps of sound dryly rattle in
the heavy and uncertain peace of night.
We all hate the feeling of

invasion - breaking down the confidence gathered
throughout the day. Something stirs in the room, in
your thoughts - a low hum

or murmur. But pass it off as nothing, as everything,
as something, but anything that could happen to anyone.
There's a point when you

have to believe that there's something wrong or not.
There's a time when that intimacy with shadows (either
as a shield or as nakedness)

will be enough for you or not. Is there truth in the bed
next to yours? Is there something that should be seen
and felt; a risk worth turning on the lights?

Will there be anything there at all?
_______

It's been so long since someone posted here, I thought I would :)
This is from a new focus I'm trying with the exploration of urban legends/horror films.

Okay, so this isn't what I'm supposed to be doing tonight. I'm supposed to be writing a poem for my story. But I needed to remember what my poetry sounded like (really, I was hoping to find one of my old ones I could doctor), so I've been poking around though old stuff and I found this. I wrote it for my seester a long, long time ago. ♥

That Sweet Sound

your song was always summertime --
those crystal days when the sky
was as blue as the grass was green.
the air was sweet with lawn-scent
and the flavor of hot pavement as our skates
burst the tar bubbles beneath us.
the breeze was always so cool
on our faces and through our hair -- both kissed
with the sun's copper glow.

the trees were green a shady
dappling the sidewalk with shadows.
we nibbled penny candy, listening
to birds and mowers and the clicking
of doggie claws on concrete.
we were pioneers or immigrants or explorers
until the chime of churchbells
brought us home.

when our windows opened like casements
the curtains would float -- white and airy
while the scent of Daddy's charcoal smoke
drifted up to grumbling tummies.
our tiny radio hummed with tinny music --
the song you always sang along with
and I remember how you'd laugh and turn it
up as far as it would go.

I heard that song today,
reminding me of summers long ago
when we didn't need toys to play
and flowers weren't for picking.
I can still hear you laughing and singing
and turning the radio up.

--March 1, 1998

This is a song from Camelot, posted here in celebration of my favorite holiday - May Day. It's sung while Guinevere and the court are a May-ing, which includes flowers and food and (all kinds of) frolic!

The Lusty Month of May
by Alan Jay Lerner

Tra la! It's May!
The lusty month of May!
That lovely month when ev'ryone goes
Blissfully astray.
Tra la! It's here!
That shocking time of year
When tons of wicked little thoughts
Merrily appear!
It's May! It's May!
That gorgeous holiday
When ev'ry maiden prays that her lad
Will be a cad!
It's mad! It's gay!
A libelous display!
Those dreary vows that ev'ryone takes,
Ev'ryone breaks.
Ev'ryone makes divine mistakes
The lusty month of May!

Whence this fragrance wafting through the air?
What sweet feelings does its scent transmute?
Whence this perfume floating ev'rywhere?
Don't you know it's that dear forbidden fruit!
Tra la la la la! That dear forbidden fruit!
Tra la la la la!


Tra la! It's May!
The lusty month of May!
That darling month when ev'ryone throws
Self-control away.
It's time to do
A wretched thing or two,
And try to make each precious day
One you'll always rue!
It's May! It's May!
The month of "yes you may,"
The time for ev'ry frivolous whim,
Proper or "im."
It's wild! It's gay!
A blot in ev'ry way.
The birds and bees with all of their vast
Amorous past
Gaze at the human race aghast,
The lusty month of May.

Tra la! It's May!
The lusty month of May!
That lovely month when ev'ryone goes
Blissfully astray.
Tra la! It's here!
That shocking time of year
When tons of wicked little thoughts
Merrily appear.
It's May! It's May!
The month of great dismay.
When all the world is brimming with fun,
Wholesome or "un."

It's mad! It's gay!
A libelous display!
Those dreary vows that ev'ryone takes,
Ev'ryone breaks.
Ev'ryone makes divine mistakes
The lusty month of May!

I just love the lyrics to this song. Never heard it before I watched the film. I love how it just flows.

---------
Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup,
They slither while they pass, they slip away across the universe
Pools of sorrow, waves of joy are drifting through my open mind,
Possessing and caressing me.
Jai guru de va om
Nothing's gonna change my world,
Nothing's gonna change my world.

Images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes,
That call me on and on across the universe,
Thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letter box they
Tumble blindly as they make their way
Across the universe
Jai guru de va om
Nothing's gonna change my world,
Nothing's gonna change my world.

Sounds of laughter shades of earth are ringing
Through my open views inviting and inciting me
Limitless undying love which shines around me like a
million suns, it calls me on and on
Across the universe
Jai guru de va om
Nothing's gonna change my world,
Nothing's gonna change my world.

I like the way this one, while technically still a sonnet, has broken all the rules. ^_^

Post-Coitum Tritesse: A Sonnet
by Brad Leithauser

Why
do
you
sigh,
roar,
fall,
all
for

some
hum-
drum
come,
--mm?
Hm...

A. boisei - Nutcracker Man

I hold your skull in my hands,
feel I know you
though bone is gone, long ago
mineralized into solid rock.
You are rough beneath
my fingers. Pitted,
fractured with countless centuries of wear
How long is a million years?

Long enough for us to forget -
to change.
How beautiful you are
your saggital crest, broken
at the zenith
of your age-worn skull.
Built from heavy muscles chewing
tough vegetables, tubers, leaves:
They left impressions on your teeth

Teeth like mine - for smiling?
Did human emotions
play across your monkey face?
passion, fear, rage,
love for your children, mother,
your wife? Could you speak to her,
whisper devotion in the shade
of acacia trees?
Or did she know
by your touch, by the look

in those deep-set eyes?
I trace thick ridges,
your brow forever furrowed
over sloping forehead.
Empty eyes stare - absolute
Keeping secrets:
Did you know who you were?
Did you wonder why the stars glowed?
Intelligent enough
to pick up a rock

make a tool.
You thrived.

2-13-1997

This song is just so damn pretty. Thanks for finding the right cd for me, marmalade_girl !


The Killers- My List

Let me wrap myself around you
Let you show me how I see
And when you come back in from nowhere
Do you ever think of me?
Your heart is not able
Let me show you how much I care
I need those eyes to tide me over
I’ll take your picture when I go
It gives me strength and gives me patience
But I’ll never let you know
I got nothing on you baby
But I always said I try
Let me show you how much I care
Cause sometimes it gets hard
And don’t she know
Don’t give the ghost up just clench your fist
You should have known by now you were on my list
Don’t give the ghost up just clench your fist
You should have known by now you were on my list
Don’t give the ghost up just clench your fist
You should have known by now you were wrong (on my list)
When your heart is not able
And your prayers they’re not fables
Let me show you (let me show you)
Let me show you (let me show you)
Let me show you how much I care oh

Someone Like You

shrouded in apathy
I look to no one
(but see you)

the flickering
of a passion
strung among strands
of broken lights
you glow in the nighttime
and I try to shine for you

you trace the outlines
of scars not yet faded
unable to steal my pain
but trying
I give more than I intend
needing everything
that you don't offer

later I hate myself
for clinging to you
(hating you
for encouraging me)
angry to be in love
with no one

and you say you love
my sister more
(so much more)
and I see that I don't care
except that my pride
stings with the blow

I don't wish for your hands
anymore, but long
instead for your mind
wanting you to understand
what I want
(not you but someone like you)

(12-27-97)