Originally Posted by Doug Denslowe

Re: Alone
Absolutely Love it.
Note:Frankie,when you post so many,it's difficult to Reply to each piece.I wrote love this etc.about "Alone"but the comment didn't appear under it.Its appearing here!
I'll edit this box,after I read and digest each Poem.
Scavengers:Adore it!IMO complete as is.(First time I've used IMO ever!)
Bitter:Great Rhymes,but............a little bitter!
Desert:Wow,being upset Does bring out the Poet in you!Wonderful Poem,but what's for dessert?
Black Hole:Again,Wow!This could be a short play!All it needs is names for who said what.
You didn't make this easy,but it was well worth it,your new stuff is really good!!!!

I am so grateful for this, Doug. You commented concisely on every new poem. You read each one, as difficult as they may have been to follow! You did it anyway. That's a pal. Thank you more than I can express. To have spoken, then to be heard, is half the battle.

And your responses are encouraging, but honest too.

For your concluding comment: My great appreciation for those words . . .

I don't feel a funny poem coming on any time soon for "dessert," though. When I finally do, no doubt you'll be the first to spot it! Do you have a sweet tooth? (jk)

. . .


I’m the space inside a pitcher.
A place between the walls,
Blanks where things are written
But nothing’s penned at all.

I’m the walkway through an arch
That leads off to nowhere.
A vacuum that’s specific,
Not owning even air.

When I walk the hall in silence
Not even footsteps fall.
If I break upon the seashore
The sands won’t feel my pall.

Belonging to nobody,
Going to nowhere,
My mind is all but emptied.
I just sit and stare.

Where are voices of the children?
Does music play tonight?
If so, I will not know it,
Without hearing and no sight.

Am I here or not
To fight the fight
Which cannot be assisted
By any passerby?
I’m alone, my mind is twisted.
I am stillness after a sigh.

A cavern in the desert.
Silence between words.
The touch that isn’t given.
A heart that dies unheard.


Frankie Jasmine
09-27-2012

Frankie this is so gripping.....and i even "felt" this a little bit too much but thats only bcs it's written so well !!
It also leads me to think of smth that Moon has said, not only to me but others that say it's true...transitions and "journeys" through severe pain or strong emotion can produce some of the strongest creativity at times when we should not expect our minds to work in any good way at all.

This was even better on the second and third read and the last time i got riveted on the line "I am stillness after a sigh"....like bumping into a wall i just got stuck there bcs it's so brilliant, but also much much more than that.

i don't offer criticism or suggestions very often bcs i always like to see a personal touch in what people write, but this is just so good, i love everything about this poem from beginning to end. <3

. . .


Billions of voices speaking
Each one without a word
In code across the internet,
Really, which ones are heard?

The old man types an email,
Doesn’t get the address straight.
He died while trying to say,
“Son, I think you’re great.”

The son is googling lawyers
For his son who’s thrown in jail.
The gaps between generations
Are things that never fail.

The jail secures electronic release
For prisoners which are too many;
And “merit for good behavior”
Has not preceded any.

An inmate freed with ten dollars
Has no place he can call home.
He wanders to the Wal-Mart to
Steal a new i-phone.

The street-life is his business,
No lack of “i” connections.
He’s soon made a new “i” score
Of his favorite delectations!

A little girl plays dress-up Barbie
On her virtual machine,
But her fun is interrupted
With a pop-up porno screen,

‘Cause Daddy forgot the filter settings
To block out any gore.
He was too busy sexting to
The woman who lives next door,

Who was hiding from her husband
This affair in cyberspace,
While their kids whiz on their computers;
Of course, they know their place!

Their teacher has their number, though,
Because they fall asleep each day
When she delivers her PowerPoint presentation,
She really earns her pay.

Her pay is generated
Auto-matic-ly
Deposited directly
For easy ac-cess-ing

To play the online gaming,
She bets when she’s alone.
A woman must have something
To greet her when she’s home.

Oh, this world’s a world of voices
Which yell and hiss and fuss,
And it’s screeching across the
Atmosphere without a peep from us!

My god, this must be magic
When everyone can have
Everything they wanted
And all they need are hands

To type in conversations,
Fill out all the forms,
Conduct political races,
Remember, “First, do no harm.”

Oh, wait! That’s just for doctors,
But not for you or me,
And certainly not people of
Money or power or noble pedigree.

The kidney’s in the patient,
Arrived in split-second time!
Ah, technical revelations
Can balance whales on dimes!

But somewhere in a foreign alley
A person dies with a gaping hole in
Her side--No “Tekneeks” this time!
Just a donor with a stolen organ.

Thus, the saga ends
When we’ve returned again to
Interactions that are executed
Hand-to-hand,
With screams.
Finis.


Frankie Jasmine
09-27-2012

Frankie i know that this is 100% "you" but several times this week i've gotten the feeling that people are reading my mind or my mail bcs i'm seeing or feeling connections in so many things....like this poem, which i connected with in numerous ways....but i'm sure that its not just me bcs this reads like an encyclopedia of life in our time!

My only specific reaction is that i was literally expecting a different word from one line to the next one, here...

And certainly not people of
Money or power or ped-i-gree

But dig-ni-tar-ies also makes its own statement as well, of facts and also ironies so i'm not suggesting that as a change, that was just the way that my own thoughts were working in the flash of a moment

You should Powerpoint this graphically in bold colors with some kind of screeching dripping horror movie font and then try to sell it on the Internet

but no i shouldnt make a cheap joke about this poem bcs its almost epic in depth of meaning and in the way that it brushes on almost every form of emotion......even the part about early release.....smth that has brought me an occasional nightmare over the past few months.

<3

Empty:Strongest Rhymes only possibility surpassed by
Voices:I know I do my best work after a break up,but this is would have to be mass murder!(For me to be this Creative)
Frankie,these two are two of the best,if not The Best,you've ever written!!(OMO)
If this brings out the "best"in you,I don't want you to get "better"!I hope you know what I mean,I wouldn't want you to suffer,of course,but the up side is this Great Poetry!

Dear Tess,

Thank you so much for your comments. I will, indeed, seriously consider the modification you suggest; it may have better "timing" with the poem's flow also.

VOICES is a little rugged in places anyway. I just returned to make a small refinement. It's necessary because I post what pours out of me; then fix glitches later! Then again, some things are meant to be "rough" in places to get attention. It all depends. That's what's great about expression in poetry. If people only realized how much creative power they have within themselves, we'd be inundated with writings from the hearts of millions!

When a writer pours tears, feelings, or bleeds from the heart, THAT is what makes the connection with others. It is rather unfettered by conscious "filtering," so it rings true. Your poetry/lyrics have astounded me at times; and the overall degree of talent among the members at ATL is hard to even grasp. So, yes, I too have had those "BaZinga!" moments. One of my favorite songs (of all time--note, I say "one of"!) is "KILLING ME SOFTLY." That song says it all, and I can never hear it too many times when sung by Roberta Flack.

Originally Posted by Doug Denslowe

Empty:Strongest Rhymes only possibility surpassed by
Voices:I know I do my best work after a break up,but this is would have to be mass murder!(For me to be this Creative)
Frankie,these two are two of the best,if not The Best,you've ever written!!(OMO)
If this brings out the "best"in you,I don't want you to get "better"!I hope you know what I mean,I wouldn't want you to suffer,of course,but the up side is this Great Poetry!

Thank you very much, Doug. I treasure the words you've written.

Yo! Frankie!

"Remember that the 48 hours before any Full Moon are a time-period of preparation for the enlightening dispensation of energies that humanity is about to receive."

Does that explain it, perchance? And did you perchance overdose on moonlight over the last coupla nights, so you could get a jump on every other great poet in the world?

Hi, Moon. I never heard such a quote before. I didn't get over-doses of moonlight (rather the contrary--I'm keeping indoors);, except for a long drive home through the hills on Tuesday night 11:00 - 11:30 p.m. . . . Finally, finally, I passed one car, but not before a dead 'possum, two dead skunks, hundreds (thousands?) of trees, and uncountable twisting, winding, turning curves, and the ups-and-downs of 'little rollercoasters' along the crests of the huge hills.

I can assure you well, I've got no jump on any other "great poet" in the world. But that was so flattering of you to say!! Thank you very much for your vote of confidence!

This is the phenomenon with which I am familiar: "Pain, if allowed its needed expression, may result in a bit of personal emotional relief, may churn out some poetry, which in turn may reflect some universal human experiences. But the goal is selfish survival."

And you can quote me on that. Count that as one of my "Personal Proverbs"!!

. . .

My husband's poetry to me is being here, being loyal, helpful and hard-working; caring for me when I need it. Making me laugh. Taking me out when I really don't feel like it, yet I am grateful later. My husband is a LIVING poem, inscribed on the inward-sides of my heart . . . and he's so much more. I'd not trade that for anything in this world . . .

That's what it's all about Frankie. Pretty words are just pretty words. It's living and experiencing that really counts.

. . .

In all good humor, good will, and affableness, I dedicate this poem to the "Mood By Duets" crew . . . and hope no offense is taken!

_ _ _ _ _



DUETS IN HARMONY?


It was just a place where
We could share
A little song by two--
Singers in a pair.
Oh, the best of them
Were there!

If only you could have heard
Those duo-tetic words!
Their voices were as sweet as birds,
From all around the world.

The music, the music!
The soother of the soul
Got lost one day when many things
Fell in Alice’s Rabbit Hole!

Where, oh, where are the singers?
There are screeches everywhere—
The hyenas and the monkeys!
Even polar bears.

Did a zoo break loose?
And all animals fell at once,
Making their primal voices heard
With vigor and with punch?

I think I heard the animals speak
About their governments!
“Who runs whom,” and “with what,”
And how things go and what is spent.

“A human’s in the White House,”
“The cow is in the corn,”
“A shoe was thrown at someone,”
“Don’t eat ice cream no more!”

Really, it was quite an event!
And I know I would be amused
If I understood what it meant,
But frankly I was confused.

I even heard a true report
(Because it came from You Tube),
Suddenly the USA has grown,
More states have joined the Union!

The number of states
Was in contention
Because no one was clear
How the mathematician
Arrived there . . .

But states have been added!
At least 7, no 8, because one more
Was mentioned in the address,
Then it was 59, I think that’s
What he meant.

But then you add the Philippines to
Fifty—that makes fifty-one.
And somehow a big country has grown
WAY past 50—and I don’t know number fifty-ONE!

Rhinos, penguins, and stockbrokers
Were all over the place.
No one-der a president can’t count
In such a confined space
That’s overridden with mammals galore,
And birds and crocodiles and slithering things,
And ever so much more!

Now! I! know! I am! in One-Der-Land!
And I am not alone,
‘Cause all my friends
Are in this dizzying place,
Which we can now call home.

Everyone is crazy!
Some are having fun.
Some are just a ’feared--
That’s me—
I’m over here!

But lonely no more in Looney Land,
I welcome my animal buddies
Who’ve fallen down the bunny hole
And gotten themselves all muddy!



Frankie Jasmine
September 30, 2012

. . . .

If you don't know what this poem is about, you'd have to visit recent pages at "How's Your Mood?--By Duets."

LOL! art mirroring life....not "immitating" bcs art is not immitation, it's reflection

@Moon, no baby pretty words are not just that, but i know what you mean

Frankie this was just as poetic as if you said it in rhyming verses

Originally Posted by Frankie Jasmine

My husband's poetry to me is being here, being loyal, helpful and hard-working; caring for me when I need it. Making me laugh. Taking me out when I really don't feel like it, yet I am grateful later. My husband is a LIVING poem, inscribed on the inward-sides of my heart . . . and he's so much more. I'd not trade that for anything in this world . . .

Originally Posted by Teshka

LOL! art mirroring life....not "immitating" bcs art is not immitation, it's reflection

I am a believer of art mirroring life. Sometimes it is the "first glimpse" of life as it is rapidly changing. My agreement is with "mirroring," not "imitating."
However . . . whether this poem stands as "mirroring life" is debatable (ha! another debate I decline to enter!)

Originally Posted by Frankie Jasmine

(ha! another debate I decline to enter!)

And I don't blame you one tiny bit!

Originally Posted by Frankie Jasmine

I am a believer of art mirroring life. Sometimes it is the "first glimpse" of life as it is rapidly changing. My agreement is with "mirroring," not "imitating."
However . . . whether this poem stands as "mirroring life" is debatable (ha! another debate I decline to enter!)

Right, Frankie! Being/Using a mirror is so much stronger when thinking of art than imitating,lol. Imitating rules out creativity nearly completely.
Of course, there's something else in between those fields: arranging, shaping things in your own way

PS: declining entering a debate is fully approved: these fields of discussion are highly tricky, even treacherous,LOL

Mine fields all over the place!

. . .




SCREAMS

Do you feel pin-pricks of blood
Shooting through your feet?
I DO.
Electric shocks bursting up
Passed your knees?
I DO.

Do you feel every bodily organ
Operating as it functions?
I DO.
Feel each cell, trouncing every nerve,
Triggering pain without compunction?
I DO.

Has your torso nearly exploded
From bruising inside?
MINE HAS.
Did you ever feel your heart
Pushing up to your eyes?
I HAVE.

Thumping in my ears--the din
Of cardio-palpitations?
OH, YEAH.
My mouth opens wide to scream
But there is no vocalization.
OH, NO!!
OH, NO!!!!

Is your skin crawling from the inside
As though it’s being eaten?
MINE IS.
Muscle beneath is spasming
As though being brutally beaten?
MINE IS.

Ugly weighty clouds
Press down on my head.
OH, LORD!
Heavy, poisonous,
Lethal lead.
OH, GOD!
OH, NO!!

Friend, can you hear me
Writhing in pain?
“I don’t.”
Help lift this burden,
Let my life remain?
“I won’t.”

Who is my helper?
Who is my friend?
Where is my sister?
Is this the end?????

“I don’t think so.”
It just goes on.
It just goes on.
It just goes on . . . .


Frankie Jasmine
10-02-2012



P.S. This sounds more like a "black & blues" Janis Joplin song than a poem to me.

Frankie,Frankie,Frankie!
Have you read a Poem that's Primo
Just Did!
Have you written something Screaming!
Oh,Yeah
Have you just Topped Yourself
Totally
Is this Classic Poetry
No Doubt!

Frankie,I don't know why,but this REALLY APPEALS to me on a ...............inner-soul like level!Why?DON'T KNOW!(Said in the same vibe as the above Poem)One Suggestion
Ugly weighty clouds
Press down on my head
OH,LORD
Then the "OH,GOD has more impact.(When I was first reading it I assumed it was going to be OH,LORD)
Anyhow,Love This,Love,Love,Love This DATS TRUE!!!!!