Wednesday, April 13, 2011

If They Were Songs

each one is a little different
having its own
strengths and challenges

some just show up
whole and ready
and want to be left alone

others need to be trimmed a bit
so eyes can see
and ears can hear

still others just need more
structure and support
a guiding hand

some play the cello
others the oboe
some a drum kit without cymbals

some lead off the album
some end up as b-sides
some never make it past a demo

some are serious
some are silly
all are sound

* * * * *

This poem was written in response to the prompt at We Write Poems to "write a poem about writing a poem".

10 comments:

  1. It's funny, you are writing about writing a poem, but I kept picturing students. It works both ways. Well written piece, Mr. Walker!

    ~Brenda

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  2. "all are sound" great! And having spent 20 years in the classroom, I would also agree with Brenda. :) Good one!

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  3. Anonymous7:01 AM

    I like the size of the stanzas, the seeming simplicity. And the two stanzas with the music metaphors are great. I am having fun with the instruments as metaphor.

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  4. Must be one of the top ten I've read today!

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  5. Anonymous8:29 AM

    I too, kept seeing bright eyed children. And that makes a lot of sense to me, as I often call my poems, my babies. Thanks for this one, seemingly simple, but far from it,

    Elizabeth

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  6. If they were songs, your poems would have made you a mega-star by now sir!

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  7. Anonymous7:53 PM

    Some of us have a lot of "b sides"! One day, maybe I'll be seen on the flip side! :) Nicely done, Mr. Walker!

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  8. Anonymous8:50 PM

    @Brenda W: I thought exactly the same thing: Mr. W. talking about students! But when you think about it, our poems are like our children. They teach us as much as we teach them. This was lovely!

    Amy
    (off-prompt poem)
    http://sharplittlepencil.wordpress.com/2011/04/13/new-shrink-rap-with-johann-ink/

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  9. I thought of students, too, Mr. Walker, but of course it could be about our poems. We do try to nourish and bring them to life.

    Pamela

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  10. Brenda, thank you. You got it. Songs were my metaphor for poems, but the songs were students too.

    Gloria, glad you liked that last line. I'm hoping it's the triple entendre I wanted it to be.

    Margoroby, thank you. I hadn't really realized it until you pointed it out, but the first four stanzas are all self-contained, each one about a particular type of poem/song/student, while in the next two, each line is like that. Thank you, I take "seeming simplicity" as high praise.

    Wow, Stan. Wow! Thank you. (I'm speechless).

    Elizabeth, thank you for your kind words. I was happy to share this one.

    SweetTalkingGuy, you do talk sweet. Thanks so much; your comment made me laugh.

    whenwordsescape, yes, I've shared some b-sides already this month, and I've got some demos I'm embarrassed to show to anyone.

    Amy, thank you. You're absolutely right. I've learned a lot from my students, just as I've learned a lot from writing poems. I will treasure "lovely"; I don't often get that compliment for my poems.

    Pamela, yes, we do. And sometimes we succeed in giving them life enough to go out on their own - poems and children. And I think they nourish us in return.

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