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Friday, June 25, 2010

SPLIT PERSONALITY…?

For Poetry On Wednesday #9

WHO AM I? Write a poem about a well know person,
celebrity, historical or mythical figure.
Please do not reveal the name . It should be fun to guess who it is .
If you want to write another terza rima sonnet for practice I would not oppose the idea!
See you next Wednesday POW.


Mine is about two people with hugely contrasting personalities.
Most of the words are either actual quotes or, paraphrased from the original,
which may or may not make it easy to identify one or both of them:


JOINED AT THE HIP

When Angels say “Good Morning!”
It’s like sixty minutes on acid

It is either good or bad

You know... it makes my head look smaller
Makes me desire things repulsive
Things with hairless armpits, but full of hatred
With no possibility of cheating

I notice all the little details
The way things really, honestly are

Freedom is the worst thing
And young achievers need difficulties

...Or have I stopped making sense?

That I don’t notice these things anymore
Helps me remember to forget
Poets compare; idiots repeat
I really do enjoy forgetting

The best thing in life is me
...I’ve written it down somewhere

*
*
*
*
*

SEPARATED 1

It’s like sixty minutes on acid
You know... it makes my head look smaller

I notice all the little details
The way things really, honestly are
Or have I stopped making sense?
That I don’t notice these things anymore
Helps me remember to forget
I really do enjoy forgetting
...I’ve written it down somewhere


SEPARATED 2

When Angels say “Good Morning!”
It is either good or bad
Makes me desire things repulsive
Things with hairless armpits, but full of hatred
With no possibility of cheating
Freedom is the worst thing
And young achievers need difficulties
Poets compare; idiots repeat
The best thing in life is me




DO YOU KNOW WHO WE ARE?

Here’s the full quotations:
In red by (?)
In yellow by (?)



It's like 60 Minutes on acid.

I like it, murder, because this is courage. It is anti-bourgeois. Murder is closer to heaven, because after becoming remords de conscience, one prays, one opens the sky, and the angels say, “Good morning!”

I wanted my head to appear smaller and the easiest way to do that was to make my body bigger. ...

In the subconscious you fuck ugly people, never beautiful, because the libido always desires something repulsive.

What is an elegant woman? An elegant woman is a woman who despises you and who has no hair under her arms.

Drawing is the honesty of the art. There is no possibility of cheating. It is either good or bad.

I really enjoy forgetting. When I first come to a place, I notice all the little details. I notice the way the sky looks. The color of white paper. The way people walk. Doorknobs. Everything. Then I get used to the place and I don't notice those things anymore. So only by forgetting can I see the place again as it really is.

You know the worst thing is freedom. Freedom of any kind is the worst for creativity. You know, (????) spent two months in jail in Spain, and these two months were the most enjoyable and happy in my life. Before my jail period, I was always nervous, anxious. I didn’t know if I should make a drawing, or perhaps make a poem, or go to the movies or the theatre, or catch a girl, or play with the boys. The people put me in jail, and my life became divine. Tremendous!

The first man to compare the cheeks of a young woman to a rose was obviously a poet; the first to repeat it was possibly an idiot.

Every morning when I wake up, I experience an exquisite joy — the joy of being (????)— and I ask myself in rapture: What wonderful things is this (????) going to accomplish today?Every morning when I awake, the greatest of joys is mine: that of being (????).


Ah, UNESCO is the most garbage. Any kind of organization for the good will of the people is impossible. It is necessary for the contrary. Young people need plenty of difficulties to achieve something, you know? If you receive a little money for this, a little money for that, everything becomes mediocre, and collapses ig-no-min-i-ously!

I have something to say about the difference between American and European cities, but I forgot what it was. I have it written down at home somewhere.

24 comments:

  1. A wonderfully written piece! Thanks for sharing!

    -Weasel

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  2. Thanks SM; But do you know who we are?

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  3. Keith Richards and Frances Scudellari:)

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  4. Thanks Rall; You were so close... Tell you later...

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  5. Well, first one out of the gate stumps me and this does not bode well for the rest of our merry band. David Byrne? Hunter S.? Andy Warhol? Governor Arnold?

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  6. Thanks JDM; Much warmer... All will be revealed.
    (I'll be back) - not Arnie though.

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  7. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  8. Thanks Derrick; Here's a clue - they both made their names in the 20th century.

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  9. Somebody flamboyant in the vein of Oscar Wilde... NOT
    Derrick!

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  10. Thanks, Stan. That narrows it down tremendously!

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  11. Thanks to:
    Rall; Flamboyant, definitely, in one case. I thought the full quote with the word 'ig-no-min-i-ously' might give him away.
    Derrick; I was worried it might...

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  12. OK..last guess...someone brilliant,way out,mad..
    original..Francis Scudellari or Salvador Dali!

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  13. Thanks Rall; Brilliant, way out, mad, original, eccentric - apply to both. One in a much more subtle way than the other.
    Let's see if anyone else wants to play.

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  14. Don't recognise the quotes but one has a feel of Jim Morrison?

    Nicely done.

    http://thelaughinghousewife.wordpress.com

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  15. Thanks TLH; I know what you mean, but... no. About 10 years after Jim died.

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  16. I don't think either is Morrison. If anything, the words in red would be his, but they still don't quite feel like him.

    I think, truthfully, the words in red might be Warhol.

    The words in yellow...I haven't a clue.

    I think you did an interesting marrying of parts of the two texts to create a unified whole. It's almost jarring to read sometimes, but together they make sense.

    -Nicole

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  17. Acid tripper--Ken Kesey?
    Other-?? Clueless

    Love the piece, what an interesting read. A brilliant assemblage of words, Stan!

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  18. Thanks to:
    Nicole; Morrison's words would have redeemed, or at least justified themselves.
    Brenda; I've never done acid - sometimes feel I don't need to try it.

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  19. Stan I know part two is Dali I am a huge fan of his work but the other I have no idea!
    Pamela

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  20. Thanks Pamela; Both have been mentioned in the comments above. No one has guessed both together.

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  21. ok Timothy Leary and Dali?
    Pamela

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  22. Thanks Pamela; Nice try - still only half way there.

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  23. I had no clue, but based on your hints, Ken Kesey and Dali? I love the quotes, and you expertly cut and mixed the two in the poem.

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  24. Thanks Francis; I thought the clues would reveal more the identity of the one you didn't get.

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