Inspired using my very rough — that's an understatement — translation of Charles Baudelaire's La Beauté, the original French version. I only know a little French, and wasn't trying to literally translate it, in case you are wondering how this could possible come about.



Am I beautiful as a river?
If I am, I carry death on tour downstream
It will inspire my poet lovers
Forever on the banks, holding hand with their mothers

Do I dance like a stubborn cat?
He shares one heart with a white goose
Keeps his moves on his side of the line
So that neither gets pleasure or pain

Back to my poets with the large egos
Who hold me roughly, imprinting themselves
Attempting to consume all my days

Of course I prefer the docile love
Between the cat and the graceful bird
Even that doesn't last forever
And always ends with death

Poetry Inspired by Poetry Ad Infinitum

My creative writing teacher, Elizabeth Treadwell, has introduced us to some amazing poets. Yesterday we learned a little about Kim Hyesoon, an award-winning poet. I wrote this poem based on my inspiration from a line of Cloud's Nostalgia from her book Sorrowtoothpaste Mirrorcream.


Borrowed Inspiration

"When I sang all the sweat pores on my body salivated"
The drops hung precariously and didn't drop freely
The gathered into larger and larger drops
Arranged themselves decisively
And used a language I didn't quite recognize to do so
The distraction of this and a creeping concern
Made my singing falter

When I stopped altogether the silence deafened
But only for one second
As on my very next heartbeat
The first proud drop fell precisely
On the keyboard made of leaves below me
Thus I learned to dance in such a way
As to let the water notes fall off my body
And become the creator of my own music

Day 8 Another Haiku

Refound friends! We toast
Our bittersweet history,
Drink in well-aged smiles

Only or Already 1 Week of NaPoWriMo

If you are also participating in NaPoWriMo, does it seem like you've been writing poems for ages? It does for me, but after I finish the day's poem (like now!) I feel great! Please leave any sort of comment and share your blog name, too.

My ideas will often drift, evade and escape me,

Like small dry feathers on water.

To grab at them with great force or speed

Only makes them float away faster and

In the most uncaring way.

I have to stop and admire their agility

While I revise my plan to recapture them.

A Poem and a Language

As I was starting my acrostic ode to the tomato, I had to know: where did the word tomato come from? From the Aztec Nahuatl language (via Spanish): tomatl. Not to go too far off into word geekdom.. but other Nahuatl words you may recognize: ahuacatl, chilli, ocelotl. Fun!

Ode to a Fruit

Totally appropriate in cold salads or hot soups,
Over or under pizza toppings, and
Many other dishes from all over the world.
Aztecs gave us its name. In Nahuatl language:
Tomatl — I shall remember this always.
October is a great month for small, sweet ones.








Image: "Aztec woman speaking" by Maunus at English Wikipedia - Florentine Codex - 1580s.