ROMANCE, or A CAN OF STAR-CROSSED WORMS

03 18 14

Through the course of migraine
hammered years of youth
I collected and accumulated
like a ball of rubber bands
a compounding adulation for
the moon's mutinous assertion
on the night's clearest skies

So unconditional was my respect
for that neon fingerprint
that I wished I could dislodge it
with my outstretched nails
and bleach it with
the gist of my identity
then wave it in the faces of the men
who valiantly vowed to reel it in
for women made flexible
from the swooning over
such inane proclamations

The men in question
nestled in the the incubator of
enamored screenplays
never were confronted with
an eight-second limit of a lunar rodeo
nor an infinite
faithful soldier's girlfriend's vow to wait
for world's end should a fed-up axis
summon them to cough up
a hyperventilated pledge of allegiance
to that stationary flag assuming
television really was that advanced

I'm well aware of human evolution and
its subsequent marketplace for the stars

But tonight is clear
I can't afford a star anyway
and I'm happy to tattoo my inner
Romeo on the moon from here

Author's Note

An old scrap touched up tonight. I'm not as cynical about this particular stuff anymore, honest.

Reviews

[Rita L. Sev]

A unique view of the moon and its romantic folly - I enjoyed the whole poem, but particularly:

then wave it in the faces of the men
who valiantly vowed to reel it in
for women made flexible
from the swooning over
such inane proclamations

A woman who loses herself to a man who promises the moon deserves what she gets...

[kublakhan27]

Haha Thank you Rita, I'm glad you were able to tap into my decidedly cynical observations...I feel better tonight, but I probably owe that to a shot of whiskey more than anything...you always know just where I'm coming from in every poem, thanks so much :)

[Kleio13]

I feel like you keep challenge my vocabulary haha, yet you always know how to insert it in a lovely poem. Although, I'm happy to tattoo myself "from" the moon, for whatever romeo who is man enough to do it.

[kublakhan27]

Haha Well you know I'm gonna volunteer without hesitation right? ;) So glad you enjoyed this one my dear, and all the others of course. Your reviews always bring a smile to my face.

[Kleio13]

Excellent and hell yes haha. And my pleasure

[Melobldnfr]

I like this in it's entirety, but the last verse resonates in a such a way that I just can't get over it.

[kublakhan27]

I'd be less than candid if I didn't say that I was intensely depressed when I wrote this one...I'm glad that this one resonated with you Melinda...I think it requires a true and close friend to fully grasp where I was coming from here emotionally, and why I came to the ending that I did, and of course you are one of those true and close friends...so glad that I was able to speak to you with this one :)

[Melobldnfr]

Awe. Steven. I feel the same. Such writing as this is bitter sweet. We write when we feel so much it bursts forth, whether it be happy or sad, proud or indignant. Not to be morbid, but quite often, the deeper the cut, the more beautiful the blood. I'm sure you understand and appreciate what I mean.

[Corset]

'So unconditional was my respect
for that neon fingerprint
that I wished I could dislodge it
with my outstretched nails
and bleach it with
the gist of my identity
then wave it in the faces of the men
who valiantly vowed to reel it in
for women made flexible
from the swooning over
such inane proclamations'


brilliant, my fav of yours so far

[kublakhan27]

Many thanks for the kind words Wall, so glad it's a favourite...cool status as well :)

[Corset]

thought it would be cool if Dylan went "round" the room

[kublakhan27]

Haha I agree...love the avatar too actually, my favourite scene from that movie ;)

[Anand Sehgal]

So unconditional was my respect
for that neon fingerprint
that I wished I could dislodge it
with my outstretched nails
and bleach it with
the gist of my identity

that's dream blended with surreal desire :)
Loved the form and your choice of words :)
Bravo Kubla :)
***************************************************************************************************************************************

[kublakhan27]

Thanks so much Anand, I am humbled by your kind words and support :)

[MsJewel]

I love everything about this one my friend, but the last stanza just blew me away! Brilliant writing and one for my library.
:) Julie

[kublakhan27]

Thanks so much for your support Julie, I'm happy you enjoyed this piece :)

[s y e]

Lovely poem, Kub - You've done it again as always. Such an in-depth, descriptive write with alot of power and meaning.

[kublakhan27]

So glad you enjoyed it Noodlebop, thanks for the support as always.

(I'll be back to read some of your new ones soon as well...I've been on the move the last couple of days)

[s y e]

Nah, take your time.

[Mercury Rising]

The ending is rather luney... lol (Affectionate play on words, not to offend ... :) Your title says as much as your poem does.

From a personal standpoint, romance is over-sensationalized by the media. We will never find love like it exists in fairytales, and anyone who thinks they have it now is still in the 'love idealised only' mode. In that idealistic stage, no one is able to grasp the reality and love is indeed a choice - and it's up to us to make the right one! Romance is something that occurs in the beginning and cools as two people know more and more about each other, and if you don't have a foundation in genuine friendship and actually LIKE each other, it will never last. So, yes ... romance might very well be just a can of star-crossed worms! But then, the full moon has the reputation for making people act strangely too!

[kublakhan27]

Haha Love your review Radi, you really summed up all of the things that were going through my most cynical mind as I wrote this...the title was originally just Romance but I thought the irony might be too harsh for those expecting a love poem...I figured I'd be opening a can of worms, and that's where the rest of it came from...plus there's a 'star' pun in there haha So glad you enjoyed and understood it :)

[redzone]

It's romance, indeed!!! and I enjoyed your musing so much I flashed it the"moon".. yep hung my a*s out the window and saluted all our "inner romeos" and read your poem to the real moon.. the moon though threw "cans of star crossed worms" at me. I think this was critique of my moon and not your poem.. really enjoyed your "romantic" side kublakhan. ~~redzone

[kublakhan27]

Haha Funny I never thought of it in that sense but I like it :) I assure you that I do have a 'real' romantic side...I've even been referred to as effeminate, but it takes a lot of effort to get that out of me, and most women don't try anyway, which takes me back to the poem full-circle. Loved the irony in your review...many thanks :)

[Baby Ricochet]

I'm going with a can of star crossed worms

[kublakhan27]

Haha My choice depends on how sarcastic I'm feeling from day to day