Image

New to poetry? Unsure about the quality of your work? Then why not post here to receive some gentle feedback.
Post Reply
User avatar
Danté
Perspicacious Poster
Perspicacious Poster
Posts: 2022
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2008 6:40 pm
Location: nothere

Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:41 pm

Image

Like a dead short in a fish-tank
a criticism levelled at me
fires the flares, I look inward
before handing out.

An outstretched plea for insight
has the snap of celery,
when underfoot, it crunches.

The flaccid remains don’t enquire
they are simply mulch
requiring no thought to sustain,
spread far and wide when they dry.

.
to anticipate touching what is unseen seems far more interesting than seeing what the hand can not touch
arunansu
Perspicacious Poster
Perspicacious Poster
Posts: 2873
Joined: Sun Feb 11, 2007 3:01 pm
Location: INDIA
Contact:

Mon Jan 19, 2009 7:12 am

As usual, another brilliant write. But I had problems with your title. To me, it's like watching your own image in the mirror! S2 is simply adorable. Now the ending does provide some image, gives me the feeling of someone ignoring criticisms( hey, it sounds like ME!).
Enjoyed the read.
karalma
Productive Poster
Productive Poster
Posts: 71
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 9:56 pm

Mon Jan 19, 2009 6:22 pm

It took me a few reads before I could understand any of this but when i did I like the image it created. I think it was the first line that put me off to begin with but once I got past that I really enjoyed.
Basnik
Prolific Poster
Prolific Poster
Posts: 400
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 12:26 pm

Mon Jan 19, 2009 7:45 pm

I liked this a lot, especially the extended celery metaphor. Have you tried it with just the second and third stanzas so that it has more of a haikuic (sic) feel to it? In the last line do you need the 'they', we know already that it is the remains and by omitting it you have 'spread far and wide when dry' which is more resigned in its weary rhythm. I guess you lose the sense of process but it's a fair trade off, no?

But, as I say, the central image is truly arresting and memorable.
bez prace, nejsou kolaci - without work, there are no cakes (Czech proverb)
Suzanne
Perspicacious Poster
Perspicacious Poster
Posts: 4902
Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 4:46 pm
antispam: no
Location: Land of the Midnight Sun

Tue Jan 20, 2009 4:55 pm

Tim,
This is great. Loved it!
Celery has never has such a powerful role, probably in anything, lol.
I am not sure how you do it, this is colorful but you do not actually mention any color.... It is quite amazing. So green.

The beginning diffusion of the water from the fish tank and ending with the scattering of the dry remains is so clever.
I agree with Aru, "S2 is simply adorable."

You are on a roll these days. Another great read.
Suzanne
Post Reply