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Tuesday, April 6, 2010

DAY 6 - WHAT WAS HE THINKING…?


NaPoWriMo Day 6


Does the intensity of NaPoWriMo have you talking to yourself yet? Almost? Perfect! Rhiannon’s prompt gives you something else on which to focus these conversations: pictures.
Many people collect favourite images, whether as memories or posters, sketches or computer files. Pick one such collection of yours – a stamp collection, a postcard book, a file of photos – and rifle through it until something catches your eye. (If you don’t have such a collection, try putting a word – any word – into Google image search or flick through the website of an art gallery.)
Once you have an image, begin to interrogate it for poems. Ask: Who or what in this picture could speak? What would they say? Why is this image meaningful to me? When I look at it, what am I remembering? How does this image make me feel? Which of my moods is easiest to find in it? Where would I want to display picture? Who do I want to see it?
Collect the answers to your questions as a hoard of words or phrases. Scatter them across a blank sheet of paper, then check for patterns. What rhymes? Where is there alliteration? Is any rhythm apparent? Patterns might suggest a form for the poem.
If there aren’t enough patterns, you have two choices: either write your poem as free verse or go back to the images and generate more words. Have fun!



INTRO

He says (to himself)…

Thank you… thank you…
Our next number is our new release…
It’s a redemption song we wrote for the tune Nero fiddled…
As he watched Rome burn…
And it’s called…
What’s it called…?
Oh yeah…!

(Picture from flickr)



FORGET ME… NOT...!

One, two, three, four…

Bring me not the head of John the Baptist
Crucify Barabbas; Jesus walks
Roman values; worthless without ego
Ergo, listen not when Caesar talks

Worship not the Holy Roman Empire
Acknowledge Caesar’s fallibility
He knows not that pride precedes a fall
Re-assessment succeeds loyalty

Undermine the principals of warfare
Conquer not; let not its cause divide
All roads lead me not to Rome, but guide me
From the Capital I flee, to hide

Apathy remains my one safe haven
Ignorance is bliss, I kid you not
I live my life as though there’s no today
If tomorrow never comes… so what?

Trainees in the Art of War, remember
Life is cheap; your death comes at a price
Throw your weapons down, make peace; surrender!
Budget not for human sacrifice

Join me in my Splendid Isolation
Freedom from the tyrant, your reward
Take a time-out, to reflect on life…
Born to serve…? Wage war…? Die by the sword…?

Encourage not the concept of ambition
Accept not challenges, nor targets; goals
Fraught with possibility of failure
Not an implication to extol

Burden not your poor, beleaguered charges
With preparations to accept defeat
Weep not tears of bitterness when Rome burns
For liberated men, revenge is sweet

14 comments:

  1. Thanks RSA; Trouble is I don't really know what tune he was fidllin'.

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  2. Hi Stan,

    Thanks for visiting. Like Red Shoe, I love this too and I think we can each find our own tune. Clever!

    WV; Silly !

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  3. This was well conceived and executed Stan, makes me feel quite cultured, and for some reason, puts me in mind of my Latin classes back in school... I won't hold that last part against you though... ;)

    ...rob
    Image & Verse

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  4. like the "no today" idea
    would we like nero better with an ocarina?

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  5. Stan,
    Very well executed poem. Love the last verse!
    Pamela

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  6. Thanks to:
    Derrick; Not me - I can't sing!
    Rob; Like Rome my attempts at Latin went up in flames.
    Greg; There's a metaphor or two in there somewhere.
    Pamela; I was quite satisfied with the way it turned out.

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  7. Thanks Briarcat; Had to check on 'ocarina'. Not sure which version he might prefer.

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  8. nicely done Stan....I like the last part also

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  9. You certainly had a lot of fun with that one. Especially loved the lines about not all roads lead to Rome, and living life as though there is no today.

    Good ideas on how to wrote poetry too. I tend to use memories as my inspiration of what to write. (Not that I can actually write poetry anyway...)

    Thanks for your comment on my last post too.

    We have a lot in common, almost seven years after my daughter's arrival, we had a son too.

    Regards
    Peter

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  10. Thanks to:
    Wayne; Reality demonstrates liberation is just a theory ;)
    Peter; Yes, it was fun, and like you I usually write from memories. This time I followed the instructions...
    2 years in our case - after the op - problem solved.

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  11. two thumbs up...

    but hey...clean your PC..am receiving a huge virus everytime am opening your blogger...

    am serious....

    my anti virus is always popping in whenever am opening your site....

    please check the virus...i think it is coming from your site...God bless

    ReplyDelete