Look: I am eager to learn stuff I don't know--which requires actively courting and posting smart disagreement.

But as you will understand, I don't like to post things that mischaracterize and are aimed to mislead.

-- Brad Delong

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Everything that appears on this blog is the copyrighted property of somebody. Often, but not always, that somebody is me. For things that are not mine, I either have obtained permission, or claim fair use. Feel free to quote me, but attribute, please. My photos and poetry are dear to my heart, and may not be used without permission. Ditto, my other intellectual property, such as charts and graphs. I'm probably willing to share. Let's talk. Violators will be damned for all eternity to the circle of hell populated by Rosanne Barr, Mrs Miller [look her up], and trombonists who are unable play in tune. You cannot possibly imagine the agony. If you have a question, email me: jazzbumpa@gmail.com. I'll answer when I feel like it. Cheers!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Haiku Wednesday - Inhibition

Inhibition

Why think outside the
Box, but let inhibitions
Box in how you act?


Join the fun!


But wait - there's more!

I hadn't written a sonnet in a while, but was reminded recently about this one by Edna St. Vincent Millay. Her musings here are not fanciful. Besides being a genuinely great poet, she was both bisexual and wildly promiscuous.


What Lips My Lips Have Kissed, And Where, And Why (Sonnet XLIII) 

What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why,
I have forgotten, and what arms have lain
Under my head till morning; but the rain
Is full of ghosts tonight, that tap and sigh

Upon the glass and listen for reply,
And in my heart there stirs a quiet pain
For unremembered lads that not again
Will turn to me at midnight with a cry.

Thus in winter stands the lonely tree,
Nor knows what birds have vanished one by one,
Yet knows its boughs more silent than before:
I cannot say what loves have come and gone,

I only know that summer sang in me
A little while, that in me sings no more. 


I wrote this response - or parody, if you want to see it that way.  I was especially taken with the imagery of the tree, and tried to use it to good effect.  I also tried to keep her end-rhyme words, but couldn't quite make that work.  I did keep the same rhyme scheme, and rhymes.  By some odd coincidence, it also fits today's haiku theme.


What lips my lips have missed, and stayed too dry:
The breath of comely girls, and young - or plain,
Their damp breath uninhaled. But now the rain
Makes the air moist tonight, Not ghosts that sigh

In forlorn memories of sad goodbye.
And in my heart there stirs a quiete pain
For girls untouched, unkissed, without a stain
Who never thrilled me with a midnight cry.

What memories has a lonely barren tree
Of lovely birds who flew past one by one
Whose brief beguiling echoed "Nevermore?"
No memories of nests it's never known.

The Summer-song unsung holds fast to me
In Winter's age, more precious than before.


Copyright 2010 JazzBumpa 

3 comments:

Jenn @ Youknow...that Blog? said...

Beautiful! Love your haiku, and very much love the sonnet. Nicely mated!

Ria said...

Great Haiku!! and your sonnet is brilliant!! It definitely honored the original!

Anonymous said...

Enjoyed your haiku and sonnet :O)