The Blue Snake

Less than zero, dregs of a dead coffee

added to a year's writing--not much

worth salvaging. What's needed is action,

some mind full direction...

a bit of plot thickening the broth, a pinch...

my inner doubts churn--let us not turn weary,

good company ruins bad character.

The central thought is small, smaller

than the dreamt about ideal--the blue snake

in the closet needs to be fed.

I sense the sly slither of something,

rustling sheets, crossing over t's, doxxing

the balloon, when the slightly tarnished blonde

stirs hungry, murmurs, the blue snake awake.

Ken e Bujold

© 2022

Reviews

[softlyfall]

My psychiatrist once told me, when I asked if I write (beyond the purview of choice) because it is in my blood (many ancestors were poets... John Milton directly but others indirectly)
he said,
"poetry is not in inherited, it is suffered"
Sylvia Plath was not trying to die, she was attempting to awaken her blue snake.
I try to reject this concept but we all know it, all poets all understand it at some level- much of our inspiration is born in pain.
Is it impossible to be a happy, contented poet then?
or does the blue snake starve to death.

[Ken e Bujold]

interesting read and questions on the blue snake Softly. The BS can be many things I suppose. For myself, it can be self-doubt that borders on the risk on self-loathing. But I think it can also be the longing for what we don't have and yearn for, an ideal or illusion. It can also I know be the demon that leads so many to addiction. I wrote this initially as part of a group of works I call my modern sonnets, but some slight tweaks and line break because it spoke to me of something, not sure what exactly, but enough that I decided to air it out
ken

[softlyfall]

I love sonnets, so I will try to read them all

[Ken e Bujold]

ones you might like then, since I came to the cafe:
A Modernist Sonnet, Updiking Updike. Dining with DiLillo while not strictly a sonnet, used a structured form to work the found material. Also if what you like is iambic might suggest my modern translation of The Seafarer and its companion A Sailor's Song.

[softlyfall]

I do favor iambic. Perhaps because I got a volume of Shakespeare's sonnets for my 13th birthday from my grandmother. Thanks for the recommendations, I will read these

[Ken e Bujold]

now that is a splendid gift, wish more grannys thought that way

[Neville]

I am sure this can be interpreted in several distinctly different way .. and so far, I have enjoyed every single one of them :) Neville

[Ken e Bujold]

glad to keep your mind spinning neville