Despite my attempted balancing act I have been neglecting my friends here to a far greater extent than intended. To be perfectly honest I miss my writing. My REAL writing! Where I can sit in front of the keyboard and allow the demented force to flow through me. I’ll be doing my best moving forward to recommit myself to daily punishing. Publishing! Far too amusing a typo to delete! 🙂
I’ve been asked a number of times lately why I don’t abandon my beloved simplistic rhyme scheme for a more mature style. It led to a period of consideration through which I’m blessed to have come to several conclusions I wasn’t especially conscious of prior. Rhyming is fun! Word-play in general is fun! I love searching for the perfect words or alternatively starting with a fantastic rhyme and building backwards. It’s quick, clever, suited to my style of comedy/ attention span and most importantly, I enjoy it. I’m no Neruda and I don’t see myself transmogrifying anytime soon. I am though totally cool with that. Very much content to not be bombarded with confusing or unpleasant emotions, their potentially positive effect upon my art regardless. Chipper and upbeat, every once in a while drunkenly staggering towards a more profound meaning. That is where I wish to reside. Plus, of course, periodically hating on donald, (he doesn’t deserve a capital letter), for being a shit-weasel extraordinaire or anyone else equally deserving.
This is the first new poem I’ve written in at least a week. It is in possession of a somewhat unusual flow pattern. Really enjoyed writing it though and it under the new paradigm that is the preeminent factor.
Input Equals Doubtput, July 16, 2018
Future variables integrated
Makeup and context variegated
Optimal output was too ill-defined
Path wasn’t direct, the route serpentined
Elegant swerve asymptotically near
Proximity’s useless if you can’t steer
Success and failure commence the same way
Just in one you get paid, other you pay.
Granted that would necessitate money being the yardstick with which you measure success. Still from lemonade stands to boardrooms it’s by far the most popular barometer. Even charities are all about the money, they just don’t keep it. Hopefully anyway…
If not money, what is the appropriate measure of success? Happiness? What scale do you measure that on? An economist would describe a happiness util, a purely theoretical measurement unit. Not helpful. Should we add up all the smiley faces on our mood calendars at the end of the month? What the hell is a mood calendar? Truly, these are all important questions. In all seriousness though, success is such a bizarrely abstract concept it can be defined, in reality, only by perspective. Weird, no?
As always, my grandest appreciation to you all for wasting your valuable time in my virtual presence. Your poor life choices will not go unrewarded. Maybe. I’m not really in a position to know anything, sorry.
Happy trails and wagging tails to all!
-Alex Blaikie
dreadpoetssobriety
A fractured mind held together by cellophane and some used tack.
Some types of success can’t be measured. Self-satisfaction, improving processes, offering free assistance to others, being a successful volunteer — how can we measure those, since there is no money involved? Intrinsic rewards can be valuable. If writing rhyme brings you self-satisfaction, reduces stress, improves mental wellness, then I say rhyme on! 🙂
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So very true on all counts! Thanks so much and all the best to you and Jupiter!
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I really liked this…money wasn’t the first “get paid, or pay” thing that came to my mind..could be love, kindness, compassion, fear, happiness…..a little bit of your soul….
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Love the alternative perspective! Thanks so much:)
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I read this for the brilliant title!
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Hopefully the remainder was still worth while 🙂
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“Chipper and upbeat, every once in a while drunkenly staggering towards a more profound meaning.” This made me laugh! It’s quite accurate. Really enjoyed this poem.
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Thanks so much! All the best:)
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I’m glad you’re choosing to stick with your rhyming, there is such satisfaction in finding a rhyme and its flow. It just takes the right poet to utilize its potential! 🙂
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Thanks so much Stephanie! That was a tough week for me without it:)
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I see some of my writing in you; if you find that you’re getting stuck creatively, try some automatism where you just kind of write whatever. I don’t do it all loosey goosey but I dont try for any image and I dont go ultralax, I aim to capture an experience or feeling that’s been pent up. It’s why I tag my poetry as impressionism. Give it a shot!
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Thanks so much, all the best!
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Re your comment above about changing your style of writing. Whilst researching yesterday I came across this description of poetry: “the view of words placed in parallel lines of about the same length” and thought you might like it. Also on reading poetry, George Crabbe is said to have loved poetry for the recurrence of same sounds and found his ability to retain ‘unmeaning verses’ fascinating. Often the sound and rhythm of poetry is the meaning and beauty in itself.
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Hitting the nail in the head as always madame! Thanks Sue!
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i love this poem
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very witty title
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All right, dear Alex. Listen up. Literally. I admit I bugged you about trying non-rhyming poetry, but now I have a *new* thing I can bug you about. Songwriting! Yes! Your poems can be set to music! Have you ever heard any stuff by Tom Lehrer? Ok, feast your ears. Here are several of his bits.
1) https://youtu.be/AcS3NOQnsQM
2) https://youtu.be/yhuMLpdnOjY
3) https://youtu.be/pvhYqeGp_Do
I guarantee you’ll love ’em and be inspired!
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I quite like your rhyming scheme, and I’m glad you won’t toss it! Your way with words really shows with how well the rhymes work and how smoothly it all flows.
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