Only one,
but the experience of changing it
will profoundly affect them.
At once they will feel both
abandoned and impassioned
for said bulb.
This light...the bulb
will entice them
and then deny them,
reminding them of their mother
or a former lover.
Then as they turn to leave the room
the light vanishes
(forgotten)
and they are
lonely
once
again.
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Comments: 64
alone
once
again.
This was indeed illuminating. And now I sleep must make.
You forgot to mention the bulb died.
I think the candles will revolt for being left out - if only they had a leader to stand up for them, who, who
for tomorrow
will bring
light.
For the lovely
compliment
Now I must sleep
The light of a
new morn
waits to brush
my sadden
brow.
Magi
Audrey, I wrote a new poem yesterday but will replace the line breaks with semicolons so I can publish it to your new group. I'm discovering the benefit of flexibility works both ways.
Audrey, I'm not sorry...the truth is that I'm not a very offensive person. It is both a blessing and a curse. A curse because no man will ever write a worthy song or an epic poem dedicated to me. A blessing because I'll be the last person to face a firing squard.
An incident happened when I was a freshman in college, a guy got so pissed that I wouldn't dance with him that he threw his beer against a wall and declared that I was the biggest bitch he had ever known. I had to smile because I knew he didn't know me for if he did he would like me. It was only because he didn't know me that he felt offended that I wouldn't dance with him.
I'm the poetry-challenged poster child of Gather. So I will follow Sandy's lead and restrict my comment to saying I enjoyed reading your poem. There seems to be another story behind this, which I'm also "in the dark" about. No need to "illuminate" or "enlighten" me. Just know I liked your work!
A poem is like a light bulb
It illuminates
The subject
And eloquently states
The idea or thought
Of the poet
Ed, you are a good poet. Don't put yourself down. Speaking only for myself, I find poetry difficult to read and harder to criitque. You are right, it isn't for everyone. Personally, when I'm looking for things a particular person has written, I would rather read the first ten chapters of their unpublished novel (no matter how well or how poorly they write) than a poem.
Jan, if I remember the situation correctly, I may have said I would dance with him but the next song (in which I would have to endure his eager embrace) was a slow one. I just couldn't deal with, yet another, young buck pressing his...endowment...into my jeans.
On a more impressive note, the new group is 'Gatherites for a Poem Free World' started by Audrey A.
John A. 2.0, I think you are really nice (even down deep where the poet's muse sits) but I may be blinded by your AWESOME body. As you can tell I'm not much of a poet, but I did manage to write this splendid piece.
Siobhan, thank you for the rave.
Nice work!
when the lightbulb goes out, they can't afford to buy another, so they die.
that's a bit of melancholy for you.
dead poet's society
And nobody should get electrocuted in the middle of a poetic moment.
But Lisa, I lie.
Because there is so much more to it than that.
But I fear we have now reached the tipping point at which we have more people writing poetry than reading it. And from there things can only get worse.
Jeff, I imagine many a poor poet has starved before his or her verse has ever been read. (Note; I don't necessarily believe that is a bad thing.)
Tina, light bulbs in refrigerators don't go out per se because they are actually portholes to other universes.
John, I agree we should all laugh at ourselves, but allow me to paraphrase a conversation Gandhi had with a young Mother Teresa. Gandhi recognizing another person of his ilk in a nun's habit took tea with the future saint. Little is known about what other topics they discussed but both agree that the death penalty should be applied to bad poets.
Tony, thanks for laughing. I wondered where you were going with the feminist joke and then I thought...that's funny.
Mark, I agree poems that rhyme are my favorites too. This is why I shouldn't critique them.
Audrey, I maybe the Rosa Parks of the bad poetry protest, but you are the Martin Luther King Jr. of the cause.
Ian, Audrey Lorde (famous poet) once said, "Poetry is a necessity." I agree that it is a worthy form in which to express emotions, but I tend to look at a lot of poetry as unfinished - thumbnail outlines of essays or stories. I think poetry is best when read aloud and the author or actor can express these emotions and communicate them on a different level.
Sandy, perfection in what you said and how you said it.
Clare, lights in closets are like the ones in refrigerators, they are black holes.
Faith, I have no idea how they do it.
i like it when people break free of the old expected forms , and this one did that..i wish i had written it .
it's like religion in that way..people think they know what god means to say but no one does, it's great to try to break free of old ways of seeing and looking at the world..
it is one of the few recommended articles i would say: yes!
you did very well Lisa, a poem that makes you stop and think
congrad.
Yes, we all need the light.We all need poeple who can lightup the bulb.Especially at times like this.Your work is simply good. Okeke O.
Q: How many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb?
A: One. but s/he has to WANT to change.
Professional humor.
another llight bulb joke came to our home this week: How many feminists does it take to change a light bulb? "THAT'S NOT FAIR"!!!!
John W. 2.0, your observational skills are as AWESOME as your AWESOME body.
Kathleen G., I'm happy I made you chuckle.
Terry M. Pol Pot was a poet? Now I live in fear!
Okeke Olughu, in times like these we can all use a little enlightening.
Darcy Altaville, Thank you.
Kathryn Esplin-Oleski, change is good.
Jayne Jezebel, we are like minds.
Cathryn flowers Ritchie, I'm gald poets can laugh at themselves.
You continue to crack me up.
How did you manage to snag so many comments? You even got Gisela to show up!
Hey, Gisela, I've missed your shining smile!
You've got most of the heavyweight poetry writers commenting here, too! wow! I'm impressed!!! (Can you tell by all the exclamation points???) I don't think I've ever had them comment on any of MY poems (well... wanna-be-poems, poetry? MAYBE)
Ivy, thank you. I originally wrote this in an e-mail to Audrey.
Duckie, I know, I did not expect the response from this at the time.
Your poem
And
Wept for the light bulb.
My salty tears dripped
Into the socket.
I convulsed
I had a flash of insight which
I immediately
Forgot.