Word count = 371 / Reading time = 1 minute, 30 seconds
Pardon the archaism as I assay to impress all you discerning Bloggers out there.
It occurs to me that many of us here in the blogosphere are prospectors, our posts the ore we assay, sifting countless samples daily to determine quality, to tease out the ingredients of good stories, photos, and poems, not simply to enjoy the work of others, but to learn how to forge quality gems of our own. I spend an hour or two several times a week browsing the wares of the few Bloggers I follow as well as what’s on display in the Community Pool and in response to the Daily Post and other writing prompts. Of course there is much on offer that doesn’t interest me, is of poor quality or in bad taste, but I always find plenty of items of exceptional, polished quality.
My own offering today is a poem I wrote shortly after waking up inexplicably at 3:00 AM one morning following a graduate poetry writing seminar the previous afternoon in which we discussed language poems. I let the odd hour stand as the title. If you are of a certain age or your mind is of a peculiar bent, you may even be able to wrangle some meaning out of this, but mainly, it just sounds good when read aloud.
If you feel it needs further refining, be sure to let me know in the comments down below.
3 A.M.
I have not come to expect
except to accept and
expect gradations.
While great nations inspect, or
insects grade expectations,
for why not be exact?
Exact a toll or for
bloom the tell holes?
Not just exact science
but an exacting appliance.
Application of convenient
alliance in austere convents.
Ah, conventional’s dear, as opposed to
unconvinced beer: trust me,
this is all science friction.
Enough fiction breeds sparks,
as does bad diction,
but neither so much as poor depiction.
So much as is too much
but is too much ever enough
and so much is too tough.
Because as much as is too much
is not as much as it must seem
and never as much as one touch.
And ever touch as one must.
And ever touch as one must.
Clever!
I did this once. Its. Years ago I tripped in the hallway at my job and landed on my boss, pushing him against the wall. He always teased me about being an English major…
Here’s the “poem”
A hall
A fall
A wall
That’s all.
Amused
I used
a muse.
Amused?
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Amused! Very nice!
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Quite apt as I was awake from 3-5 this morning … !
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I like that I can almost imagine someone like Anthony Hopkins reading it with his wonderful pronunciation making it the Roll off his tongue
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Thank you, Michael! Would you like some fava beans and a nice Chianti with that?
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Absolutely lovely when read aloud, but it does make my head spin! 😉
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Thank you, T!
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I would never claim to be in the same class of poets as Emily Dickinson, who wrote that, “If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry.” But if it made your head spin, maybe I’m on my way?
Thanks again!
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I love that! Hey, Dickinson had her beginnings too. ✍️
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I was under the impression that 4 AM was the odd hour of the night that coincides with great creations! But looks like 3 AM has some tricks up its sleeve as well.
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Nowadays at my age I’m more likely to have to go to the bathroom at odd hours of the night!
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A real tongue twister but the poem flows so well, it’s a great piece of art! Well done!
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Thank you very much!
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Nice poem Denny!
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Thank you very much, Winnie!
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You’re welcome Denny!
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Loved reading it out aloud! Such a clever piece of writing at 3 am! Inspiration does strike at odd hours.
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Yes…fun when read aloud. 3 a.m. Hmmmm!!!! Yes, I’ve been up at that time myself. Strange… how ideas come to us. Thanks for sharing. An enjoyable read!!!!! 🙂
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Really liked this. I too could imagine Anthony Hopkins reading this aloud. Well written.
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Thank you, Phyllis, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
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You are a masterful writer. Hope you write a novel because you have a balance of intensity, amusement, scary, and that edge that keeps you hungering for more. Please, keep writing! Write a book! Mystery, suspense, with a soup sen (can’t remember spelling atm, internet went down and I exhausted myself doing other things) of humour. It would be a best seller! I’d definitely line up!
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<>Aww, shucks, thank you Phyllis. It’s been my lifelong dream to write. Unfortunately, I was too lazy and afraid when I was young and had time. Now I’m middle-aged, married with 2 young kids, a homeowner, and a full-time probation officer. I started this blog with the intent to hone my writing skills and begin building a body of work with the eventual goal of having something worth publishing. I have much less time to devote to it than I’d like. But encouragement (occasional, not frequent, I don’t want to get a big head!) like yours may be the long-missing ingredient I need to keep me from giving up.
Thank you very much for reading and especially for such sweet, thoughtful, uplifting remarks.
Take care, be well, and happy Blogging!
Denny
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Your welcome, Denny (me being bold now). I stand by what I said. I write a page a day. If that helps. I have 5 grandkids whom I take care of daily. It’s a crazy busy life from 7 am until 11 at night and often until 3 am. These days, I eek out time to write. It’s a worthwhile goal. Your writing is too good to give up on. Just a thought.
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Thank you, Phyllis! Look what I did today and please feel free to join in. It’s kind of blowing up!
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on my way.
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Incredibly clever piece! Just brilliant 😆😊
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Thank you, Candy!
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Very welcome 😊hope you’re well
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Ah, if I had 1/10 of your facility with words and imaginative mind! There were even 1 or 2 delicately-colored truth-eggs hiding in the grass (see last 2 stanzas). Others were more simply decorative, with perhaps slightly thinner shells. All pleasing to the ear, though truth is what makes an egg more than just yolk-and-white, IMO.
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Ahh, yes, Bilbo Baggins’s “box without hinges, key, or lid, yet golden treasure inside is hid”! Thank you for your kind comments, Ellen. I like your metaphor. And don’t sell yourself short. You have no less facility with words than I do.
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