As poets we spend so much time thinking about those ideas we wish to write about. As the saying goes, anything can be the focus of a poem. Well, pretty much everything...
This week I completely flipped my thinking and began to consider those matters for which I hold absolutely no interest. This is quite clearly a personal preference I'm exercising here and someone else's list may look decidedly different. That's as it should be.
My poem is quite obviously a list poem and has a rhyming introduction. You could decribe it as an anti poem.
I Fail To See These Poems In Me
I doubt that you will ever see
These poems upon a page
-by me
Just forget it
Don’t regret it
They’re locked outside the gate
Unneeded
They shall remain forever unheeded
Topics I just fail to rate:
My love for green trousers
Admiration for influencers
Garters
Hot dog eating contests
The thinness of Donald’s orange skin
Wordle game result posters
The history of lint
Onions as gifts
Recalling lost lemmings
How Fidget Spinners changed my life
All I know about Crypto Currency
Appreciating pot holders
An Ode to Facebook Ads
The joy of rice-cakes
The inexorable spread of nail salons
The films of Nicholas Cage
The mystique of A listers.
Alan j Wright
Welcome to Poetry Friday. This week's host is Irene Latham. Irene's post this week is about a new anthology compiled using the works of some renowned poets who have contributed autobiographical poems. It's called 'The Mistakes That Made Us.' Check it out.
Alan, you had me at your blog title! Such irony in a poem about things you said you wouldn't write about. :) I'm going to try it! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Irene. Good luck with your particular list.
DeleteAllan, this is genius! I laughed the whole way through as I flip-flopped sides in my head. Most of these are things of which I am not fond, and yet, each could be a title for a hilarious book. Well done!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your response Tracey. You see potential book titles which goes to prove that one person's trash is another's treasure.
DeleteAlan, I enjoyed the humor in this poem. "Garters"-I have not heard that word in decades but I think garters are coming back into the limelight-at least by Victoria Secret lingerie. Keep on bringing your humor because the world is a mixed up place right now. We all need to laugh instead of fight.
ReplyDeleteSo glad the humour shone through, Carole. I recall wearing garters with our school socks which were part of our school uniforms. Yes, the world needs humour as a counter balance.
DeleteWe all have that list, but I haven't considered it until today, Alan; but when poems bring emotion, even tears, over the gift of an onion, right? And, is there a history of lint? I enjoyed your de-listing!
ReplyDeleteLinda, must admit to a little poetic licence here. Lint history and gifted onions deserve to be on the list, I think. Glad you enjoyed my listing...
DeleteI'm with you on the whole lot --but for the pot holders. I mean, C'mon! Overworked and under-appreciated! :)
ReplyDeletePatricia, I wholeheartedly agree that potholders have great utility. In fact I called on them last night. I just don't see them as poetry material
DeleteHaha! Alan, so funny. I can imagine I too would never write these poems, but collectively what a fun list. Onions as gifts, crypto currency, and fidget spinners. I laughed aloud several times! How did you ever come up with all these items? I may have to agree with Patricia about appreciating pot holders though! :)
ReplyDeleteDenise, this was a poem that actually took a considerable amount of pre-writing time. The actual identification and listing of items. It was fun and some revision and editing took place.
DeleteThank you for sharing such a fun and unique poem, Alan. I especially loved the green trousers - maybe I could write that one!
DeleteAh that list--thanks for the smiles!
DeleteThank you, Buffy. Smiles sre good!
DeleteYour title had me rushing in to find out what on earth you wouldn't write about--and now I'm chuckling. Great list poem! I really wonder what I would not write about. Ha! Well done.
ReplyDeleteAh, the compelling call of curiosity, Linda. Thanks for exploring and guffawing!
DeleteAlan, this is hysterical. What a fun prompt this would be for young writers, too! - Laura Purdie Salas
ReplyDeleteThank you, Laura. Much appreciated. I agree that this has potential to stir the thoughts of young poets
DeleteI love a list poem and this one takes the cake. Or maybe I should say, takes the onion. :)
ReplyDeleteSo glad my poem struck a chord, Karen.
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