A good word of mine

After one too many tequila

shots, I stumbled from the bar

to my deprived house to find

Vincent Van Gogh, in polka-dot

boxers, Nike shoes and Sherlock hat,

standing on my well-fed couch.

 

Poetry surrounds us everywhere,

but putting it on paper is, alas,

not so easy as looking at it

 

he sang to me as his arms

conducted to an orchestra

of dusty, acrylic-lined shadows.

 

What else could I possibly

do other than to strip to

my underwear, grab a magnifying

glass, and dance the dance of writing?

 

Author's Note

Lefthand and I decided to each write a poem based on the prompt "alas." This is what I wrote... Link to his: http://www.writerscafe.org/writing/Smoke_Shifter/1021016/.

Reviews

[Clockwork]

It is amazing that the core of this poem is "alas." The final stanza captivates me every time I read it. Not only do you capture what the mechanics of writing can be like, but you introduce your reader to an intimate scene which displays the romantic nature of the act itself.

[eglantine]

:D thank you!

[afra]

great write

[Antonio Valentino]

all that from alas?!

waww.. one can only imagine what you could write with two words..

for whatever its worth, i think you're a pretty brilliant writer..

always anxious to discover new pearls in your poems

:)

[eglantine]

aw thanks!

[.]

I concur with the lines "Poetry surrounds us everywhere,
but putting it on paper is, alas, not so easy as looking at it". I believe this is always the case when I am writing. I love the Van Gough reference as well. Good job:)

[eglantine]

that is an actual quote from him :)

[Emily B]

you have to be a little mad to carry off artistic genius, we are all characters that raise eyebrows in the normal everyday workaholic world, we are misunderstood everywhere but this place that we join to speak to our own kind

alas, poor yorick!

[eglantine]

thank you very much Emily :)

[Crazy Cat Man]

this was a fun little piece :) i love the last stanza. makes me feel like getting drunk and write :)

[eglantine]

... well I've just discovered how I'm going to spend my evening

[Androglossia]

This only shows that creative thought cannot be forced but it will just flow at any given time. I like the humor in it. Nice write. Thanks for sharing.

[eglantine]

thank you for reading :)

[Shmoke-Sifted Heftlande..]

holy crap it's brilliant...mine is way too serious compared to this. I like the interconnectedness to the artistic genius in us all. It's a good reminder that our imagination is both human and god-like and in the end it's just as important to be comfortable as it is to be passionate...I like how you challenge and blur the line between the confines of an expected adulthood and innocence and also the italicized transition is important. It kind of makes you wonder what all else you saw and maybe challenges you to see all you can in your mind and capture what you can and not be ashamed of the experience or the result.

[Nobody.]

:) enjoyed this, too.
cheers!