Found 677 posts tagged ‘poem’ |
|
|
This Terrible Problem That Is the Sea –
November 11, 2013 |
(permalink) |
|
|
|
|
Hungry, pitiless, murderous sea!
Oh, what wild shrieks hath terror sent o'er thee!
How many millions, dead,
Lie waiting in thy oozy bed,
Till the last trumpet sound, and Death no more
Shall revel 'mid thy rage and maddening roar!
—Nicholas Michell, "Ocean's Changes" (1867)
|
,( ,( ,( ,( ,( ,( ,( ,(
`-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' ` "The sea is a cruel mistress. Yet again the sea has behaved unconscionably. It's time to address this terrible problem that is the sea." —Captain Neddie, from the hilarious BBC series Broken News |
|
|
|
I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought –
February 5, 2013 |
(permalink) |
|
|
|
|
Our Favorite Asterisk of All Time?Check out the very special asterisk in this little verse from The Wonder Clock by Howard Pyle, 1887. It stands for the word gloom (in all fairness, how much clarity can we expect of gloominess?) even as it concentrates what little light there is into a gleam in a house cat's eye. Is the asterisk here a genuine example of visual poetry, or did the typesetter run out of space and improvise grandly? We don't care, as the result stands. (Note that we hunted down what would appear to be the web's only other gloomy asterisk, if only to give the cat's other eye a twinkle.)
"Asterisk + Gloom," a photo by Richard Weston, appears here in the context of literary analysis.
|
|
|
I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought –
December 4, 2011 |
(permalink) |
|
|
|
|
You can feel the pulse in the slipping away — Geof Huth |
|
|
I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought –
May 25, 2011 |
(permalink) |
|
|
|
|
For an acquaintance who dreams of lazy afternoons in a hammock but whose backyard sports just a single tree, here's a spoof of a poem by dear cousin Emily: To make a hammock It takes some netting and one tree. Netting and a tree And reverie. The reverie alone will do If trees are few. |
|
|
The Right Word –
November 19, 2008 |
(permalink) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A whimsical bit of misinformation from DR. BOLI’S ANIMAL ALPHABET: U is for the Unicorn,
Who lived in mythic fantasies of old.
This beast was born
With just a single horn,
A total count of one, all told.
Alas, the Unicorn’s no more:
To moderns, who learn science in the crib,
The myths of yore
Are nothing but a bore;
The Unicorn is just a fib.
Also don't miss Dr. Boli's explanation of a unicorn's chief source of income. |
|
|
The Right Word –
December 22, 2007 |
(permalink) |
|
|
|
|
"The Shortest Day" Short verse We need, Most terse Indeed, That it— This lay— May fit This day. Short sight Of sun. Long night, Begun At four, Sunshine Once more At nine. A. M. Meets eyes Of them Who rise If no Fog hide— Then woe Betide; The day That ought To stay So short A space Can't show Its face Below. But when It goes, Why then One knows New Year Will soon Be here— Then June, So bright! So sweet! So light! We'll greet The day That's long With gay, Glad song— Excessively long-footed verse will undoubtedly characterise what we say, For Longfellow's longest lines skip along when we've long longed for the Longest Day. —Punch, Dec. 24, 1892 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tauba Auerbach's "Listen/Silent" anagram reminds me of a poem by Thomas Moore: When to sad Music silent you listen,
And tears on those eyelids tremble like dew,
Oh, then there dwells in those eyes as they glisten
A sweet holy charm that mirth never knew.
I like the idea of teardrops being a magical potion, glistening with enchantment of a shadowy (mirthless) yet sacred nature.
This anagram is by Tauba Auerbach and appears here by special arrangement.
|
|
|
I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought –
May 21, 2007 |
(permalink) |
|
|
|
|
You're (Literally) the Top
(inspired by Cole Porter, of course)
You're the top;
you're the peak of Dante;
You're the top—
blue-chip picante.
You're the jewel in the crown of a dinner gown by Klein.
You're Dorsey's trombone,
you're Kheops' capstone,
you're altar wine.
You're the top—
as in "hat," on Fred's head.
You're the quip
dear old Oscar Wilde said.
I'm an inarticulate voiceless glottal stop.
But if, baby, I'm the bottom you're the top!
You're the top;
you're the head of Acme
(placed there
by imperial decree).
You're the high point of a fairy tale by Grimm.
You're lemon zest,
you're Arthur's crest,
you're the Battle Hymn.
You're the top—
you're the Everest summit.
You ascend
where others plummet.
Compared to me John Falstaff is a fop.
But if, baby, I'm the bottom you're the top!
|
|
|
Images Moving Through Time –
April 16, 2007 |
(permalink) |
|
|
|
|
The Presence of AbsenceRich Haswell poses an intriguing question: When spoken, the word "silence" contradicts its meaning. Gomringer's concrete poem [below left] creates a new and better word for "silence": the void in the middle. That space, that absence, is now filled with an eloquent presence. So then what is the better representation of a dead person, a photograph displayed or no photograph available?
 The full size of this illustration is here. Also of interest, the artistry of Mark Mumford: "Nothing Ever Happened Here," 2002. Paper, ink, stainless steel, and vinyl.
|
|
|
I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought –
January 18, 2007 |
(permalink) |
|
|
|
|
Changesby Thomas HawkinsToday the world is spinning Although it's hard to see It's just the second inning We're losing five to three. Tomorrow will be better At least that's what they say I've just received this letter Inviting me to stay. Let's hope we'll be together When fire goes raining down There's changes in the weather Predicted all around.
|
|
|
I Found a Penny Today, So Here's a Thought –
November 25, 2006 |
(permalink) |
|
|
|
|
little stars above us
signals in the night
memories of places we once knew
have we got your message
did we hear it right, we
view our world so differently than you
--an excerpt from "Chance Abbreviation" by Ken Clinger.
Based in Pennsylvania, Ken is a prolific, visionary recording artist
known as one of the "godfathers" of the underground home taping genre.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Split Personalities:
All animals are famous for 15 minutes,
but some are more famous than others.
—George Warhol, author of Animal Farm
and leader of pop art movement.
so much depends
upon
a course in
miracles
—William Carlos Williamson, author of
"The Red Wheelbarrow" and A Return to Love.
God gave a loaf to Mr. Scrooge,
But just a crumb to me.
—Emily Dickens, author of "Because I Could not
Stop for Death" and A Christmas Carol.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Speaking of semicolons, I stumbled upon the most marvelous poem by Matt
"World's Best Writer Ever" Getty, entitled "Inside the Semicolon
(Draft)." Here's the first stanza:
The sinister semicolon lurks
on the inside. Always inviting,
he calls you to follow as he opens
doors that look like walls.
To read more (you'll be glad you did), see the poetry section of Matt's website. |
Original Content Copyright © 2026 by Craig Conley. All rights reserved.
|
