Thinking Of Starting My Own "poem A Day" Help me get out of a not writing funk (Pretty please?

[NigaiAmaiYume 0]

Been listening to Jonathan Coulton's incredibily wonderful and insane songs he's been doing for his Thing a Week podcasts, as well as Mike Spiff Booth's incredibily insane and wonderful WoW videos to same. It's incredible what people come up with when they ABSOLUTELY have to.

 

Wanna help me do the same?

 

How this works:

 

- Post something for me to write a poem about (Within Forum limits). First post guarrentees a poem (although I may pick other people if this thing ever gets interesting) - inspirational stuff may also get a bonus entry.

 

- If you're feeling evil, post a poem type or other restraint.

 

- See what I come up with.

 

- See how long I last before I break and go crazy.

 

Sounds fun, doesn't it?

 

Since I currently need to go to the library to get online, I may not be on everyday. If so, I catch up on the poems when I DO get on.

 

Presuming anyone cares. ^-^

 

(I obviously need more sleep, or fewer stoner customers.)

Edited November 9, 2006 by NigaiAmaiYume (see edit history)

[keri-j 0]

Hmm, sounds like a very good idea! Also seems a lot clearer now than on MSN when I seriously failed to grasp this concept, I was slightly.... happy. And hey, don't talk bad about the stoners, we're okay until we get paranoid.... Anyways.... I think I may take part in this small project of yours. Edited November 16, 2006 by keri-j (see edit history)

[NigaiAmaiYume 0]

Well, no one put up any topics. And I missed 5 days.

 

Well, here's what I've come up with, using some random themes.

 

Random themes decided by:

- Picking a Forum.

- Using Random.org to generate a topic (First page from number of pages, the 1 to 25 for specific topic).

- Picked that topic, then used the cnet.com add at the top of the page to pick a theme to write about. Could have been a word in the description, or a feeling from the image. Meh.

 

RhymeZone used to help with creating rhyming poems faster.

 

Day 1:

 

Forum: Tutorials

Topic: http://forums.xisto.com/topic/24201-backing-up-and-restoring-mysql-databases/

Ad: BrightStor

Theme: Bright, stars.

Poetry Type: Sonnet

 

Quote

The night is liquid velvet, cold,

A glorious canvass for depressing dreams.

But the stars appear and are too bold,

Ripping my black spirit apart at the seams.

 

Why do you mock me, unfeeling stars?

Why can you not leave the undead in peace?

Why do you insist upon showing my scars?

Why can my pain find no release?

 

I looked forward for a night of dim, harsh pleasures,

But instead you remind me of tenderness and love.

Gone now are my cruel, evil treasures,

Lost in the life I try never to think of.

 

So much for the glory of a starless night,

I suppose I shall have to pretend at delight.

Day 2

 

Topic: http://forums.xisto.com/topic/36033-looking-to-affiliate/

Ad: Rustic Steel Padlock & Keys

Theme: Hidden Secrets

Poetry Type: Acrostic

 

Quote

H ow much do you realize,

I m watching you so intently.

D o you recognize the flirting?

D id I make myself too obvious?

E ven though my friends say I should approach you,

N ow a secret crush seems best.

Day 3

 

Forum: Music Lyrics

Topic: http://forums.xisto.com/topic/5031-rammstein-rammstein/

Ad: ESP LTD RZK-600 Richard Z Signature Model Electric Guitar

Theme: Music, Guitar

Poetry Type: Cinquain

 

Quote

Power,

Electric energy

Tearing through flesh,

Releasing my frenzied joy,

The climax of a guitar solo.

 

(Inspired by Meatloaf's "Bad for Good" on his Bat Out of Hell III cd, featuring Brian May.)

 

 

Day 4

 

Forum: SEO

Topic: http://forums.xisto.com/topic/3141-are-meta-keywords-back-in-for-search-meta-tags-and-there-usefulness-in-seo/

Ad: Apple 60GB iPod

Theme: Apple, fruit, temptation

Poetry Type: Limmerick

 

Quote

The serpent came and said to Eve,

This apple is what you are seeking, I believe,

The apple looked ripe,

But despite all the hype,

Left the poor child only more naïve.

Day 5

 

Forum: Command and Conquer

Topic: http://forums.xisto.com/topic/1119-zero-hour-good-or-not-expansion/

Ad: Stuhrling Original San Marco Men's Automatic Watch

Theme: Automatic, Robotic, Styx's Mr. Roboto

Poetry Type: Free Verse

 

Quote

Ive managed to find a suitable replacement for flesh,

Keeping others from getting too close.

My insides are wire and metal,

What did they use to construct my soul?

I can hear the ticking of the clockwork that propels me forwards,

Is it so really different from the ticking of a heart?

I have to keep others so far away,

So no one can discover my escape.

I know the humans would fear me;

Like the animals of the past,

Im more afraid of them.

How long can I live like this,

How long can I convince myself Im alive?

And the most horrible irony

My creators forced upon me

Is to make the fluid that greases my machinery

Flow and look like blood.

(Why is SO much of poetry depressing? o_O)

 

Well, there you have it. Five quickly written poems on random topics.

 

Anyone else have any ideas? I'll keep up the ad-inspired stuff until you do!!!

[Bkag 0]

Thanks for your help Nigia, so ill post you a theme for your poem of the day :wacko:My choice of theme is .... gang culture(since you wanted something challenging )

[NigaiAmaiYume 0]

Well, I DID ask for it... Ok, here's my poem on Bkag's theme of "gang culture".Punk vs VetYou always go onAbout how you fought for your countryWent across the worldTo fight people you had never even seen.Why do you resent meFor taking the war to my neighbourhoodFighting the peopleThat have chosen to see me.You go onAbout the friendships you madeThe bond of blood in the trenchesWith people you had hardly known.Why keep on my backThat I'm willing to die for my friendsPeople I've shared more than blood withWe chose to live as brothers!You continue to be proudOf killing and dying when you were toldWhat did you ever give upWhen you were so mindless?I'll continue to ignore youWhen you diss me and my gang.We fight for ourselves.Why are our wars less important than yours?

[Bkag 0]

That is D^mn good, you really have some skill, and some quick thinking, 15 minuter :blink:It is very imaginative how you did that, because that is the exact attitude a gang member would have toweds a vet.

[husker 0]

Wow, you seem to be on a roll lol. What about a poem on sports? I don't care what type it is or if it's against sports or whatever, just one either about sports in general or reflecting your views on sports. Think you can do it?

[NigaiAmaiYume 0]

Hum, sports.... Such a broad topic is actually harder than a narrow one, because you're faced with so many ideas, it's hard to pick just one...

 

I'll guess I'll try a new poem type,Etheree (in the first list) to restrain me a little more.

 

The poetry form, Etheree, consists of 10 lines of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 syllables.

 

Born,

Too plain,

Without grace,

Without any style,

Alone among crowds.

But then I found myself,

The glory of speed, power,

Revealing myself in splendor,

All shall bow before my perfection,

Matured as an idol among the gods.

 

 

 

..... O....K.... That got abstract. o_O I GUESS it's still about sports, kinda... *laughs*

 

 

Edit: Oh, I missed a day, too! Silly Nigai...

 

I asked Albus Dumbledore for a topic, and he requested something about "death and darkness". He also mentioned at theme, but I don't want to bias this poem, since I think it is open to several interpretations.

 

Since he wouldn't pick a poem type, I decided to do one of my favorites, Sestina. Since I didn't have access to the actual FORUMLA for Sestinas, however, it's not perfect. I might re-write it to actually reflect the traditional form.

 

Anyway, here's the current result:

 

The Mighty Ponders

 

It was supposed to be so magical

A world of innocent wonders

It held around us the trappings of whimsy

Can you condemn us for accepting its promises?

What was offered had thus only been dreams

It seemed a fine escape from reality.

 

And it grew harsher every day we were forced back to reality

Having lived in the fey, we too were now magical

What could it offer when we had seen such wonders?

It meagre pleasures seemed such meaningless whimsy

But never believe what the mirror promises

You will stare forever blinded by your dreams.

 

And there is only one curse greater than being gifted your dreams

And that is seeing your dreams as your only reality

How can the normal ever again be magical?

What is done everyday quickly ceases to create wonders

You become deprived of your previous sources of whimsy

And must seek out new and more grandiose promises.

 

Then comes the curse of believing those promises

Transforming yourself as the object of dreams

Believing, perhaps, you can remake reality

Reclaim in your conquest the long ago magical

Satisfy all that comes to you and wonders

Exercise away the childish, frivolous whimsy.

 

Yet, in the end, you come to mourn for lost whimsy

For no thing can ever answer all promises

By being the dream-maker, you again lose your own dreams

As well as the line that had defined mundane reality

Did we remember that curses were also magical?

Did we know horrors are also forms of wonders?

 

And at the end of that path, one stops and wonders

At the uselessness of teachings, the wisdom of whimsy

Having seen all, we are left with only promises

You can take nothing forward more solid than your dreams

Where will we chart the new definition of reality?

I curse the day I outgrew the sun being magical.

 

And even the most magical of charms cannot remake wonders

It seemed such whimsy, but how strong where the promises?

Hide in Lethe dreams, until they become reality.

 

 

 

And to garner interest, PM me with your interpretation of the poem! Best ones get 5 or more credits and are listed here! ^-^

Edited November 18, 2006 by NigaiAmaiYume (see edit history)

[bterzian 0]

NigaiAmaiYume, You have a good idea about writers writing everyday. You've inspired me to try to do the same. You've got a gift in the pen, or the keyboard perhaps I should say. Keep up the good writing. If you feel like it, maybe you can write a poem for the holiday season. Good luck to you. Brenda