i saw two pixies on the downtown train
i’m sure they snuck on at the parker station
i’m sure they didn’t pay
so odd to see two pixies on the downtown train
in the middle of the day
one spoke the language of sunset
the other spoke riddles of sunrise
surprise!
i saw two pixies on the downtown train
and it nearly
killed me
two pixies caught wandering in the middle of the day
one says (hey play it cool)
the
other says (yeah act natural)
i saw two pixies walking naked thru busy city streets
buying apples
two pixies sitting on a park bench, shoulder to shoulder
with a hobo in the middle
and they babble and they blunder
he learns all their whistles and winks, the stuff they say with the stuff between their toes
and he learns
how to raise baby birds in his beard
he learns a new
sutra
becomes a buddha!
two pixies wander downtown after dark
two pixies in the park
one pixie whirs and twirls in autumn gold, smacking the
leaves as they fall from the trees
exploding gold,
smack! Smack! Smack! rainbows of rust!
the other plays fiddle
two pixies spotted fleeing the scene barefoot in dirty
underwear
party favors and jumper cables
not a pretty
picture
two pixies, one with his head in the clouds, one with her
feet in the gutter
so strange to see two pixies hijack a downtown high rise elevator
when the sign specifically says “no shirt no shoes no pixies
no service”
two pixies on the roof of the city posed like gargoyles calling
all angels
danger! danger! the strangers are here!
nothing
but pixie tears
then
giggle and run away
jumping in and
out of each other’s shadow
i saw two pixies standing around downtown grooving on tunes
one of them starts to sing
(caribou… cari-boooooouuuuu…)
and the other plays fiddle
posted for the sunday muse
posted for dverse
Your poetry amazes me! It clicks. It makes me dig deep. It delights. It makes me laugh. It makes me ponder.
ReplyDeletethanks helen, so glad you liked, and thanks for being such a faithful reader, that means a lot to me.
DeleteThe pixies certainly have joie de vivre (sp?) This really had me wondering what was going on: "two pixies spotted fleeing the scene barefoot in dirty underwear
ReplyDeleteparty favors and jumper cables." Now there's parties, then there's PARTIES. Such a fun read and could read much much more about these two and be happy.
well i'll keep an eye out for them, if i see more craziness i will report back to you =)
DeleteSuch delightful repetition! Really liked this poem.
ReplyDeletethanks phillip, glad you enjoyed.
DeleteYou had me thinking of those very Pixies as I read it: in fact, I think the song would make a great soundtrack to the poem. I enjoyed this a lot!
ReplyDeleteyep, as soon as i saw the challenge picture i thought of this band, i was listen to them as i wrote the poem. thanks ingrid, glad you liked this
DeleteHow delightful and magical this is! Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeletethank you grace
DeleteThis has such a musical cadence to it, playful yet thoughtful, those two pixies!!
ReplyDeletethank you yvonne, so glad you enjoyed
DeleteA pixified stream of consciousness! So entertaining.
ReplyDeleteoh yes, a "pixalated" canvas of chaos. thanks bev!
DeleteI second what Bev said! A clever delight indeed!
ReplyDeletethank you carrie, glad you enjoyed
DeleteIncredible piece—particularly the masterfully controlled flow and the way you toyed with the idea of “playing second fiddle” (et cetera). That last line is very clever. Of course I hope you’ll record if you can.
ReplyDeletethank you peppermint, and yes, i can make a recording of this, i'll let you know when its up
DeleteOh, I absolutely loved every line of this! What a wonderful frame by frame narrative. You captured the mischief of the two pixies perfectly and made the reader want to join in the fun. And of course, a wonderful choice of song! I love the poem and the song, well done! <3
ReplyDeletethank you sunra, so glad you liked
DeleteThis is funny, clever and, as someone said above, magical. With a touch of Tom Waits. I like the way it looks on the page too and the shifting rhythm.. JIM
ReplyDeletethanks jim, glad you liked
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful! Such a delightful ditty!
ReplyDeletethank you, so glad you enjoyed
DeleteI love the story, and it makes me think if they were high on pixie dust... good use of the hobo's beard.
ReplyDeletethank you bjorn, and i agree about the pixie dust
DeleteLove the special effects led by the repetition. It keeps making it flow every bit along the way. Good show Phillip!
ReplyDeleteHank
thank you hank, glad you enjoyed this.
DeleteThis is an amazing birth from that somewhat slick image, and fragrant with contemporary heat and steam fueled by a little bit of myth and allegory. Who could ask for more, as these pixies wander the urban landscape, both powerful and lost, much like ourselves. Some really cool and spontaneous-feeling writing, especially the section starting "... one with his head in the clouds, one with her feet in the gutter...” I like the gargoyles, also.
ReplyDeletethank you joy. i read this one again today, and i really like it too... thats pretty rare for me to like something that i wrote =)
Delete