BRILLIANT BLOOMS PROMPT #155 AND STACCATO

I have a bit of a background in music, so it sometimes colors my writing and poetry. As with this week’s prompt, we basically assembled “Found” poems out of the song titles of our favorite performers. A great blend of artists and collected works was presented for our consideration. The INFORM POETS Staccato was a bit of a challenge, but we garners some interesting poems here as well.

WALT’S BLOOMS:

This would be a unanimous choice if Connie had been allowed to cast two votes, as she had confided that Sharon’s reworking of Janis Ian’s titles was also worthy of a BLOOM. She earns mine for this:

GETTING OVER YOU by Sharon Ingraham

(Janis Ian)

I NEED TO LIVE ALONE AGAIN
LAY LOW with PHOTOGRAPHS
MEMORIES, THIS NIGHT
WHEN SILENCE FALLS, in this
HOUSE WITHOUT A HEART
ON THE OTHER SIDE of
THE GREAT DIVIDE – admit that
LIFE IS NEVER WRONG

SHADOWS ON THE WIND and a
BLACK CROW FLYING
HERE IN THE CITY remind me
YOU’RE TOO LATE; my
CHILDHOOD HERO…
made ALL THOSE PROMISES
WHEN I LAY DOWN
I HEAR YOU SING AGAIN
see PARIS IN YOUR EYES

THROUGH THE YEARS,
THIS HOUSE witnessed your
BRIGHT LIGHTS AND PROMISES
our SLOW DANCE ROMANCE
I WANT TO MAKE YOU LOVE ME
but I’ve read BETWEEN THE LINES
While LOVE IS BLIND and
INSANITY COMES QUIETLY TO
THE STRUCTURED MIND,
WITHOUT YOU – I’LL CRY TONIGHT
but LET ME BE LONELY

And WHEN THE PARTY’S OVER
Here IN MY MAMA’S HOUSE
I’ll be EMPTY, GETTING OVER YOU
WHEN YOU LOVE SOMEONE
AS FAR AS LONELY GOES
I’ll miss your ARMS AROUND
MY LIFE but,
YOU DON’T KNOW MY HEART

DAYS LIKE THESE when I HUNGER
for TENDERNESS, want you to
RIDE ME LIKE A WAVE
I come close to BREAKING SILENCE,
wonder WHY CAN’T YOU AND I
TRIGGER HAPPY LOVE before I
recall you are a SNIPER OF THE HEART
and I should HIT YOU WITH THE GUILT
and TAKE NO PRISONERS

STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF LOVE
ALL ROADS TO THE RIVER
TAKE ME WALKING IN THE RAIN.
I REMEMBER YESTERDAY, like
a PASSION PLAY, BIGGER THAN REAL.
I BELIEVE I’M MYSELF AGAIN
but HERE COMES THE NIGHT and look
There’s THE BRIDGE..it feels like
TONIGHT WILL LAST FOREVER

FROM ME TO YOU, LIGHT A LIGHT
DON’T CRY OLD MAN – here’s a
LOVER’S LULLABY…GOOD-BYE TO MORNING
I want to TAKE TO THE SKY…do I hear
a HYMN? No, THIS MUST BE WRONG
I am DOWN AND AWAY and hear sweet
voices rise…WHEN ANGELS CRY…

***

INFORM POETS CHOICE:

There was an interesting use of the repeats  in lines 3/6, giving a different feel to the exclamation to drive the point home. I applaud our Mistress of Forms for this take which has earned RJ Clarken this designation!

Shape Shifter

“You must not blame me if I do talk to the clouds.” ~Henry David Thoreau

I see a horse, a dog, or a pinwheel.
As a matter of course, clouds can’t conceal
shape shifts! Shape shifts! So, my mind plays
in between the bright streaking rays
where we hum and thrum and chat, because clouds
shape shift. They are the wispy folks in crowds.

I wonder why you hear something I can’t,
but does that mean we should try to supplant
our dreams? Our dreams!? I don’t believe
that should be so. I can’t conceive
of a world without dreams or clouds or words.
Our dreams are the clouds, and they sing like birds.

(C) RJ Clarken – 2014

***

CONNIE’S BLOOMS:

For “Say it with Music,” I picked “Have you ever been Lonely?” by Debi Swim. This one flowed smoothly despite a patchwork of titles by Patsy Cline and was an enjoyable read.

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN LONELY by Debi Swim

(Patsy Cline)

I’ve gone out “Walking After Midnight”
these past “Seven Lonely Days”
under a “Blue Moon of Kentucky”
“I Fall to Pieces”, feeling “Crazy”, hoping
“Someday You’ll Want Me to Want You”
cause “You Made Me Love You”,
gave me “Sweet Dreams” and I’m longing
to be “Back in Baby’s Arms” but
“Your Cheatin’ Heart”
has given me
“Lovesick Blues’
and I can only hope
you’ll “Pick Me Up on Your Way Down.”
Oh, it’s “So Wrong” that you had
“Leaving on Your Mind.”
“Now She’s Got You”
and “I’m Walking the Dog”
Under a Blue Moon.
Oh, “Stupid Cupid”
for making me love you.
“Bill Bailey,
Won’t you Please Come Home?”

(C) Debi Swim – 2014

***

INFORM POETS

For the Staccato I chose Susan Schoefield’s “It’s About Time” because I have those thoughts every spring in Colorado, and it was a fun, feel-good poem. Plus it was consistent with all the rules of the form.

IT’S ABOUT TIME by Susan Schoefild

The season that chose to never depart
froze all of my toes and iced up my heart.
It’s time! It’s time! I’m done with cold.
Bundling up has gotten old.
No nice way to say it, so please get lost.
It’s time for my achy bones to defrost.

The long wait finally comes to an end
in the great return of a long, lost friend.
It’s here! It’s here! The winter stops.
Put on my shorts and grab flip-flops.
A stroll on the beach or swim in the bay,
it’s here and this lady is set to play!

© Susan Schoeffield

 

KUDOS TO SHARON, RJ, DEBI AND SUSAN FOR THESE SELECTIONS!