April Poem-A-Day 18: Contractual Obligation Poem

Contractual Obligation Poem

I made a vow to create/spew
at least a poem a day for April.
(“vow” might be a tad strong
to describe my intent toward
this spastic poetic slaughter.)

I’m dragging behind and
I’m feeling word blind.

No ripe phrases fall
in autumnal waves
from my dry pen.

Be glad I don’t yearn
to create a verbal
Metal Machine Music
on 8-track tape.

I am not a monster.
Not yet at least.

© 2009, php

April Poem-A-Day 16: In my mind, I write wondrous novels

In my mind, I write wondrous novels,
complex plots and insightful characters
woven with a sure, deft touch,
polished as old scrimshaw.

In reality, my crude attempts are flawed,
dull, derivative, sloppy, ill-focused.

I sigh with resignation, knowing
I may never gain the ability to overcome
my amateurish and clumsy mauling
of long form tale telling.

So I write poetry:
stories severely abbreviated,
distilled to strobed flashes
of ciphered allusion and image.

Still, I t’aint much of a poet,
more rough, clumsy versifier.
I’m erratic of rhyme and rhythm,
predicable of theme and symbol,
overly obvious of simile,
repetitive of imagery.

Yet I have some skill with words,
informed by a sly wicked humor,
a penchant for self-deprecation
and an eccentric vocabulary.

And I know how to ruthlessly
rip off my literary elders.
Or I ape them with clumsy abandon
might be the more apt description.
(although this surely slights simians,
this comparison to my blunt hackery.)

I sigh, wistful and pensive,
dreaming of epics.

© 2009, php