δΈͺ
(heads up! listen to the poem up here)
warning! these true stories are based on loose lips,
unshaved characters
scripture translated from crop
circles, fast food menus
and all the stuff stuck to the
bottom of my shoe
true story every time i buy new shoes i have to learn to
walk again
giggle and gimbal, stumble over
curbs, each foot a conjoined stranger
the fun never ends
until it ends
flatfooted again
true story i have no use for politicians, but that’s not
true
sometimes i
run out of toilet paper
true story i’m not running for mayor of truthtown, i’m not
managing
a health food store, i don’t sleep inside a fortune cookie
true story i
see two moons tonight
one in the sky and one in the lake
and drunk enough to swim for it
true story a man and a woman holding hands in a deli
pretending
they’re not going to devour each other
true story i wrote a dozen emails, all in my head, which has
no wi-fi
so you probably
didn’t get them
true story i took the last trash bag from the box, and put
the box in the bag
true story i only sleep in pictures of beds
final warning
all these warnings may be hazardous to the osmosis of
spontaneous true story
true story, all these warnings were translated from chinese toaster
oven safety labels
with an industry standard garage sale ouija board
(caution plug
securely or power cord be detached in set
else
crisscross wires fix with fork and feel emergency
call god immediately, also, avoid
soft drinks)
but let us not be warned
let immortal monkey gods deliver us
onto random doorsteps
let us midnight snack a greasy half-burnt sunset last supper
of summer
let us creature around in secret vehicles under a suicide of
blue sky
let us go all weather, all together
and forget to do
our laundry
2013
posted for open mic night at D'verse
My favorite section:
ReplyDelete“true story i see two moons tonight
one in the sky and one in the lake
and drunk enough to swim for it
true story a man and a woman holding hands in a deli
pretending they’re not going to devour each other”
I have written a trash-box-in-a-trash-bag poem before. :)
Oh, yes. More favorites:
“midnight snack a greasy”
“creature around in secret”
“a suicide of blue sky” (which of course is a drink)
thanks pepperment, so glad you liked this. and i'm glad you got your blog back up, love reading your poems, but you don't allow comments and its driving me crazy=)
DeleteHa. Sorry, not sorry. :)
DeleteI do sometimes. Keep coming back. They’ll open up on occasion.
Love this poem! Wow.
ReplyDeletethank you lucy!
DeleteThis is fantastic, Phillip! What a delightful tumble of images :-) I enjoyed all of it but I particularly loved the last stanza, well done! <3
ReplyDeletethank you sunra, glad you liked this
DeleteWhat a wonderful poem. I so admire your ability to be humorous. I find it very challenging. There are so many delightful lines here. I think the first stanza is my favorite. Thanks for the smile.
ReplyDeletethanks you ali, so glad you enjoyed
DeleteBrilliant! Keep telling your truth :-)
ReplyDeletethank you ingrid
DeleteThis one just blows me away, Phillip. It's difficult to sustain a mood through a narrative that encompasses so many different, jarring but somehow audaciously compatible images, but you manage to portray a little facet of every side of the central mirrorball with deft impact. I really really like the fortune cookie, the deli line, and the monkey gods especially, and that third line from the end cuts like a knife. Just gorgeous, intelligent writing, and an extra pleasure to hear you read it.
ReplyDeletethank you joy, so glad you like this
DeleteTruth is hard to digest, but you make it palatable!
ReplyDeletethank you vandana
DeleteLoved this! Excellent, excellent recording, the poem in its entirety just flows. This particular bit stood out for me; "true story every time i buy new shoes i have to learn to walk again giggle and gimbal, stumble over curbs, each foot a conjoined stranger the fun never ends until it ends flatfooted again." Kudos!ππ
ReplyDeletethanks sanaa, and thanks again for all your help setting up sound cloud
DeleteI'm solidly for it.
ReplyDeletethank you shay, glad you enjoyed this
DeleteA very funny, clever, inventive poem, Phillip! JIM
ReplyDeletethank you jim
DeleteYour mind! I don't possess enough superlatives to describe it ... maybe it defies description of any kind. Yes, I think so. This is amazing poetry ...... true story.
ReplyDeletethanks helen, i really appreciate that, glad you enjoyed this
DeleteTrue story: This made me smile and chuckle all the way through! Brilliant writing!(inspired by immortal monkey gods no doubt!)
ReplyDeletethank you tricia, glad you liked
DeleteI love all those true stories... small images that brings the complexity together. Like those glass shards of a kaleidoscope grows into a star.
ReplyDeletethank you bjorn, glad you enjoyed
DeleteWow! Can't pick a fave true story because all of them are so good.
ReplyDeletethank you, glad you liked it
DeleteHA HA! I actually just did my laundry. This is my favorite poem of the year. You un-jangled my mind on the other side of the ride!
ReplyDeletethanks colleen, glad i could help you enjoy doing your laundry =)
Delete