Only Seven Years

Another Found Poem: basically an experiment with this form,(as well as video auto play insertion) I am interested in combining parts to create something new; as I live life through the lens of poetry.

Only Seven Years 

I felt embarrassed; the flowers were cheap lilies,

Leftover from Easter, found in a grocery store…

This pointing, this sensitive's unraveling,

This sting I've been ignoring, I feel it way down, way down…

(He was shot and killed)

Once there were trailers here, on each side of the asphalt

I can still see the electrical hookups and

These versions of violence…

Sometimes subtle sometimes clear,

And the ones that go unnoticed

Still leave their mark once disappeared,

Coercing or leaving

Shutting down and punishing

Running from rooms, defending,

Withholding, justifying;

These versions of violence…

A small memorial has risen

Visitors rarely venture north,

Where signs of better days haunt almost every street

Remembered in the living; through tears and rage and endless discrete

Instead they are diagnosing, analyzing

Giving unsolicited advice

Explaining and controlling,

Judging opining and meddling,

He was shot and killed!

These versions of violence…

modtoddink, 2015

Article "In North Charleston, tales of a price being paid" by Moni Basu, CNN -Sat April 11, 2015
"Versions Of Violence" Alanis Morissette, 2008

"Sonatine I - Act Of Violence" by Joe Hisaishi

Photo, unkown 

Author's Note

Reviews

[dan]

Todd, Adapting someone else's words, coupled with music and your own written interpretation is, I believe, probably more difficult than writing the piece from scratch. You have crafted a remarkable multi-media presentation that you will look back on years from now and say to yourself, "Wow, I really broke some new, uncharted ground with this one!" Your creativity in putting this together shows me further evidence of your growth as an artist, a process I've been a witness to for some time now. VERY well done! take care...dan

[modtoddinc]

Dan, Thank you for your kind and constructive review. I appreciate your words and awareness. I truly love the multi-media form and look forward to creating and sharing more in the future.

~peace, Todd

[sereenaoutloud]

wow this is really awesome. I loved it. You are very talented ..well done !

[modtoddinc]

Thank you very much for taking the time to visit, read and comment, I am grateful.

~Peace, Todd

[AaronFreitas]

This is an awesome piece my friend! Good work.. keep writing and keep sharing :)

[modtoddinc]

Thank you, Sir. Done and done. :)

[modtoddinc]

This poem was created from an article I read today on the recent events in North Charleston, South Carolina, and a song by Alanis Morissette. I altered very little from the article and the lyrics, mostly just rearranging the words. I also wrote very little myself, but some words are mine in order to create a better fluency to the overall message. As I noted above it is basically an attempt to play with this form of poetry, I have always been fascinated with mythology and particularly comparative mythology so looking through the lens of a poet I often see poetry in motion so to speak, and wanted to try and capture it in a new and effective way. The title of the poem refers to the seven years between the song and the article. I also include the photo and the music as part of the Found form, the video is credited on YouTube and the photo is one I found years ago on the internet, and used for something I totally forget... I think probably on MySpace. :)
Feel free to leave your comments or critique my work; I can only learn and hone my craft more. Thanks in advance, Todd
Oh and I had a friend teach me how to auto play music so I wanted to attempt that as well... Thanks Dan! :)