This week I am travelling back to the prose poetry form. I delved into my ever expanding collection of prose poems and booked these four travel themed poems to share.
The benefit of travel is that each time you strike out into the wider world, you are rewarded with stories. Such rich pickings for those of us who poet...
Prose Poetry From The Travel Zone
Brief Pelican Encounter
A woman holidaying in Florida endured a frightening collision with a pelican which flew into the side of her face while she was swimming. The woman’s cheek required 25 stitches. The pelican died. Fox News in their usual sensational reporting style ran a headline declaring 'Pelican Attacks Woman In Florida.' The woman from Ohio thought the pelican may have mistaken her for a fish.Fin.
Alan j Wright
The Ubiquitous Bob Marley
In London they say you are never further than eight feet from a rat at any one time. In the Caribbean you are never more than eight feet from the sound of a Bob Marley song! Bob may not be with us anymore, but his melodies strongly represent him wherever you go. Bob kept confessing that it was he who shot the sheriff. After seven days I wanted to shoot the sound system! It was the perfect excuse to lose myself in a pina colada or two.
Alan j Wright
Pig On The Loose
I watched in amazement as a pig fell from a moving motorbike today. It wriggled free from the young women passenger carrying it home from the Hmong hilltop tribe market. Said pig bounced conveniently on the grassy verge of the narrow mountain road before regaining its trotters and scampering off. I can only assume it went wee, wee, wee all the way home.
Alan j Wright
The Luggage Carousel
I have reached the inevitable conclusion that no matter how close I stand to the baggage carousel someone will feel compelled to take up a position directly in front of me. I am an obedient observer of the yellow line. My compliance does not serve me well. I see it, I stand behind it, conforming to airport expectations. Others, blind to the brilliant yellow line, press against the carousel, obliterating access with their lustful entitlement. A travel ban seems like an appropriate punishment for such a grievous infraction. May these carousel creepers never find their luggage. Suitcase purgatory in perpetuity.
Alan j Wright
LOVE these tongue-in-cheek poems and observations so much, especially your curse on the "carousel creepers"! Haha! I just got your amazing book and can't wait to dive in, Alan! Congrats on putting a wonderful book into the world!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you enjoyed my prose poems, Mona. Thank you for your generous remarks regarding my new book and your act of faith in purchasing it. I sincerely hope it sings for you and you tell your friends about it.
DeleteAlan, these are so much fun. Your Bob Marley experience sounds much like mine, although I brought home "Jammin" and subjected my roommates to it for the next couple of months.
ReplyDeleteMy friends got Buffalo Soldier on repeat as I recall, Susan. So glad you enjoyed the prose party.
DeleteLove the "wee, wee, wee/all the way home", imagine that she who lost her pig did, too! We don't have yellow lines in the U.S. but we do have those "carousel creepers", those who never go to the end of the line, right? As for the pelican attack, one reason never to listen to Fox News, but if you do , just listen next to "Don't worry, about a thing. 'cause. . ." Sorry I had to respond to each one which made me admire you for bringing these travel delights to us! Thanks, Alan!
ReplyDeleteWow, Linda that's a generous overview. Thanks for that. I used to listen to Fox News when I lived in the US and my wife often asked me, why? My answer was, you must keep your enemies, close.
DeleteOh, my gosh, these are so fun! Short and sweet with such rich detail and story. Prose poetry for the win today, Alan. I think my favorite has to be the pig "regaining its trotters" and presumably getting home again after its fall. Fun post today.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Denise. I am glad you enjoyed the journey. Pigs are a winner.
DeleteWhat fun to travel with you today and see snapshots of those odd moments you encounter. I was so happy for the freed pig and could relate to waiting by the carousel. You captured these moments beautifully.
ReplyDeleteWell thank you, Cathy. It is always nice when something you share strikes a chord with readers.
DeleteWell, these prose travel poems are HILARIOUS! And I concur "suitcase purgatory in perpetuity"! Though we don't have the yellow lines around here, I'm convinced an unsupervised child broke the baggage carousel at DCA when I was there waiting for my suitcase recently.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Marcie. Your comments are appreciated. Oh we all have luggage horror stories. They strike with some regularity
DeleteThank you for the smiles this morning, Alan! I love them all but that "wee wee wee" is soooo good!
ReplyDeleteThe pig wins again, Rose. glad my prose poems delivered smiles.
DeleteSuch short vignettes, but each one is packed with atmosphere and imagery!
ReplyDeleteAnd this made me laugh: "My compliance does not serve me well." Oh, how many times have I thought that to myself? :D Thanks, Alan!
So glad you enjoyed the reading of these prose poems, Karen. Compliance is a double edged response, isn't it.
Deleteoh to have a letter from you while on one of these trips, telling of these marvelous adventures.
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightful compliment, Diane. Thank you, so much.
DeleteAlan, You have brought a smile to my face this Sunday! I love these prose poems. They are so relatable. I especially like the last two. We have a large contingent of Hmong in Wisconsin and that description of the pig bouncing off a truck is so apt. In addition, as a rule follower myself, the baggage carousel entitlement is only one of the irritants we regularly encounter while traveling - I wish there was more politeness, humility, and rule following in the world. I fear many Americans consitute those making the infractions.
ReplyDeleteSmiles on a Sunday are always a good thing to hear about, Carol. The hmong people we met in Sapa, Vietnam were most hospitable and welcoming. They exhbited the politeness and humility we need to see replicated elsewhere in our world. Thank you for your considered response to my prose poetry.
DeleteThese are most entertaining—you must be fun to travel with! My favorite little line is “…fish. Fin.” Hee hee!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind remarks and your astute pick up regarding the use of the word, fin. Practicing the art of close observation is an ongoing project. It is essential for those of us who wish to write. Travel provides such a precious opportunity to collect treasure for the writing that flows from that experience.
DeleteAlan, your prose poems are quite interesting, especially the Piggy one. This line made me laugh at the end: "I can only assume it went wee, wee, wee all the way home." Keep on sending us your special poems.
ReplyDeleteThe piggy is getting lots of love, Carol. My prose poem collection is swelling. i just need a willing publisher...
DeleteDid I stumble into the spoken word poetry stand up comedy show?!?! These are all SUCH fun!
ReplyDeleteMary Lee, I'm so glad you like them. Fun experience and even more fun to relive through the writing. Thanks for your great response.
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