full moon night

[crazy a]

the two empty soda bottles
go into the recycle bin,
the bag of garbage from
the kitchen tops off the
garbage can and I wheel it
to the curb.

I stand on the sidewalk,
look at the stars and think that
the light of stars I see tonight
began a million years ago.

I look at the apartments on the
next street behind my house
and know that
sex and love and murder
and madness and indifference
are happening at the same time.

then I notice the full moon
hanging in the sky like a pearl,
the moon that makes people
and oceans crazy,
I think of someone up there
while I'm down here,
mosquitoes biting my ankles,
and I go inside, up the stairs,
into bed and wake my wife
with a kiss on her shoulder,
whispering

"I need some love,
the moon is full
tonight."

[parch]

interesting, and more poetic, more feeling involved, and well done. i like most of what you write but some is thoughtful, maybe too easy for you it seems. do you sacrifice anything when you write or put it out there?.. i think sacrifice may be part of poetry. i wish more people would sacrifice when they write. sometimes i write poems with no sacrifice, but i don't see it. i think sacrifice isn't all and isn't extremely important and isn't always needed but i guess i wish i saw some in what you write because i enjoy it and i want to see what's really behind it...feelings more than thought.

___---parch

[crazy a]

I'm not sure I understand when you ask "do I sacrifice anything". Sacrifice what?

When I write, I put it down one line at a time. Hopefully the reader can get what I'm saying, but apparently a couple of them have missed the mark here. I don't bother with the flowery-and-frills stuff. My favorite writer is Charles Bukowski, if that helps clarify.

[machinery]

Sacrifice...aw yes. I know what Parch speaks of. I have it often and sometimes will not write because. I wondered about this too with your writing. Do you just sit down at the computer and write with ease? or is it structured and hard to spit lines out? With your writing and the way I read it, the whole idea of writing seems simple to you......and it baffles me, with the way you write, it looks so hard, but it seems like wasn't for you....

[parch]

ok.
when i said "do you sacrifice anything" i was referring to something i've been taught about theatre and art in my acting class. it means-- do you put yourself on the line, do you put yourself up there w/ your poem for others to love, hate, critique, adore, be bored by? we're taught that in theatre you have to sacrifice part of yourself and put it up there... in the character... to get to the audience. you have to do this for the audience to become involved, otherwise there's nothing there. you have to take a chance, and put your true self out there or they won't want to see it cause no one wants to see something fake. but now i'm thinking it over. this may apply to theatre but it actually may not apply to poetry. i went to the net to get some of Charles Bukowski's stuff and realized he does do what i was leaning towards, but its not really sacrificial. bukowski is a good poet from what i've read (which is very little). i think you do need to put part of yourself out there to write a good poem, perform well, paint a picture, sculpt something...but maybe sacrifice is not something you really need to do. perhaps it is just that an artist must reveal something, a part of his/herself.

aside from that... i like your poetry. i believe i get the point. i'm just not used to your style. you are more witty, and thoughtful than i am used to seeing. i always looked for feeling in poetry, when i should also be looking for other things such as thought, wit, etc. referring to "flowery frills" i agree that you jump past that, which is good. i am not at all looking for that. my comments were only put up because i wanted to see more feeling behind your poetry, which probably is there, but i'm not reading into it. i do see the feeling in it, but in some it seems hidden by other aspects. i enjoy your thought, and enjoy your poetry. i may have underestimated what you put into it. as i said before, you seem to do it so easily.

___---parch

[crazy a]

Many thanks for the clarifications.

Ok, how do I do it?

First off, you gotta remember I've been writing on and off since jr. high/high school. But it was a far cry from how I write now. At first, it was the typical "taught" rhyme scheme ( abab, abcb, whatever). I did A LOT of that. In the Marines I read a lot of Jim Morrison and my writing showed it. Then I discovered Bukowski and that was it.

It's not easy, especially if I'm on the computer with my on-line friends. Sometimes it flows and I can get some good production. Other times I'll go long periods without anything. I don't want to force it, I figure it'll come when it comes.

Structure. In the beginning, it was very structured as far as rhyme and rhythm and all that. Now I just go with it. Of course I'm trying for the right word or image but I'm not banging my head against the wall to get it. I pretty much go with what comes out the first time with little or no revisions. If anyone likes it, great. If not, that's ok too.

Do I write with ease? Well, I think the hardest part is getting started. Once I get rolling, however, it's not so bad. But then there's times I sit here and there's nothing.

Umm...I guess that's it. Hope that helped a little. Class dismissed.

[machinery]

i just reread this...and I really enjoy it....it just rolls...flows, swims....no bams, no questions...just ......well just..hahaha. you know....rolls, flows, swims...and how you need some loving at the end....nice...i just wanted to tell you that I now really appreciate this.....you got caught in the moment and simply described it...and it clearly affected you in the poem.....but I don't want to analyze this one..i want to simply enjoy it.....nice work old wise one! haha

[Branflakes]

I really like that one, Crazy.

------------------
The original ninja lesbian milk getter.
Please click on that banner.
The one called "brain" and "brandiflakes" and....
I'm tired of the silent majority. Silence equals death.
Life is what you make it.
Become beautiful on the inside and it will show on the outside.
"Treat everyone the same until you find out they're an idiot." -Lucy Lawless
You're going to have to deal with my ego at some point.

[crazy a]

BRAN!!! So good to see you here!

Hey guys, Bran's a friend of mine from another board. Be nice to her.

[Branflakes]

yeah, cause Crazy'll hurt you.

Don't know if I'll be able to stop by much (you know how looney life is for me right now, crazy), but I'll make a point to try and post some new poems as I write them.

Plus, anyone know a board, besides Scenario, where I could post stories? I kind of wanted to get fresh input on "She Thinks" and some other things.

------------------
The original ninja lesbian milk getter.
Please click on that banner.
The one called "brain" and "brandiflakes" and....
I'm tired of the silent majority. Silence equals death.
Life is what you make it.
"If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to serve as a horrible warning." -Catherine Aird
I'm not bad, I just type that way.