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Sunday, April 25, 2010

DAY 25 – FIRST THINGS FIRST

NaPoWriMo Day 25
For Read Write Poem


It’s Day #25, and you may be getting tired. In Joseph Harker’s prompt today, let others do the heavy lifting of inspiration.
Keep an ear out for the first sentence (or even word) that is said to you after you read this prompt. (Poetic license: If the first few words are exceptionally boring, wait for the first uncommon or peculiar one.) Take that word/sentence — it could be “mango” or “exemplar” or “have you ever been to this Ethiopian restaurant?” — and build a poem around it. Maybe you have deep thoughts on mangoes or a narrative of heartbreak and spicy injera from the restaurant mentioned. Trust in fate.


“THE DOOR WON’T CLOSE PROPERLY”

With the front door open a crack
and the afternoon sun, still strong
I can settle into the beam
that slices through the entrance hall

Then, with left hand over right eye
(because I need my good, right hand
and the sun shines in from the left)
I can stare at another world

Raise right hand, in front of face
wave rapidly before left eye
Stroboscopic finger effect
causes images to distort

Perspective loses relevance
Dimensions fuse, and time speeds up
Colours merge into greyish-pink
Tone and contrast exist no more

The action enhances hearing
Ultra-high and ultra-low
frequencies can be distinguished
and messages begin to form

Suddenly contrast is restored
Images show, in shades of grey
like negative development
for those grainy old photographs

Stills develop jerky motion
It’s early Hollywood, with sound
but nothing like you’ve ever seen
shown at a cinema near you

Your deepest dreams, your greatest fears
take shape and manifest themselves
somewhere between the world outside
and that crack that lets darkness in

25 comments:

  1. Love the images and rhythm. I wrote once wrote about taking into a fan. Talk about an audio strobe.

    Nicely done, Stan!

    ~Mark

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  2. Wow all that from a comment about a door not closing. Such inspiration :) Ingeborg.

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  3. I love how you took such a simple sentence and activity and made it fascinating. My favourite line is 'the beam/that slices'


    http://thelaughinghousewife.wordpress.com

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  4. Thanks to:
    Mark; Yeah I know what you mean about the fan. It's a game my kids love to play.
    Ingeborg; The sunlight just hit me in the eye - I'm still chasing the spots.

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  5. Thanks Laughing Housewife; Try it at home (you already did, didn't you?) - It'll make fascinating reading on the psychiatric report! ;)

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  6. Stan, this is a terrific use of the prompt. I particularly like the final stanza. Not that I don't like the rest - I do!

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  7. Thanks ViV; It's all the rage in our house - everyone will be doing it tomorrow...

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  8. Most people would just fix the door, Stan!!

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  9. Thanks Derrick; I never thought of that %)

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  10. The crack that lets darkness in - that's a new twist on an old saying that I hadn't thought of.

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  11. Hmm Sumatran Gold mood and always late afternoon. I know about dancing sunlight through a crack. Thought it was my secret.

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  12. Like the rhythm too, like Mark said. Made me feel a little "Doctor Who" - ish... a whole new world through the crack.

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  13. I'm impressed that such a comment evoked such a response...I wonder what you might have written had the first comment been "the toilet's not flushing." : )) Really well done and great final stanza.

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  14. got a mental glimpse of one of the kids, standing in the doorway, watching dad

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  15. Love the way you've taken this miniature event and expanded it into something so impressive... don't close that door!

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  16. That crack that lets darkness in...

    Dang, man, I like that!

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  17. Cool poem. I think we could fuse your poem with my poem and get something very interesting! ;-)

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  18. stanski, havent been able to get to everyone during this time glad to have stopped by today.. it has been a wonderful voyage watching and reading this poetry of yours unfold in expression during napowrimo.... peace and blessings to you and your family... conduit connect

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  19. Thanks to:
    Catherine; 'A crack in everything That's how the light gets in' was how Leonard Cohen put it.
    Rallentanda; Even the best kept ones are revealed.
    Lori; Dr. Who et al might be responsible...
    Robin; Two words - first one, "Oh..." :)
    Briarcat; And the other one phoning for a doctor...?
    Pamela; It takes a bit of practice...
    Namingconstellations; It's usually left wide open.
    Dan; You should try it sometime.
    Poemblaze; Sounds scary...
    Pieceofpie; It's been a great way of keeping my imagination active.

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  20. What a cool image. I just visited the Muybridge exhibit in DC-he invented "animation". Reminded me of that.

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  21. after fixing our screen door today here.....well your poem is much better...than my repair job ..nice one Stan

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  22. Thanks to:
    1965; It's all just tricks with light.
    Wayne; That's why I left ours as it is.

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  23. hmmmmm.....
    too much or too less
    it doesn't matter
    it goes without a saying...
    human mind is imaginative

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  24. Thanks Inay; Yeah, hard to say which it could be...

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