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Entwin(n)ed Poetics, Karin Gustafson, Manicddaily, mascara a la elephant, poetics, twins/opposites/the divided self
Twins. Opposites. Two sides of the same coin. Heads/tails, you win. Heads/tails, you lose.
Manicddaily here, a/k/a Karin Gustafson, also a Gemini.
As a small child, I loved being born under the sign of the twins. When could you have a better birthday? Late May, early June, sported day after day of blue-sky weather, signaled the end of the school year, fell almost exactly halfway from Christmas.
On top of that, my mother, whom I adored, was also a Gemini. So, inner twindom felt like our “thing”–our own little “able-to-see-and-TAKE-two-sides-of-any-argument” club.
But, as I grew older and began to discern some of the human failings of my mother–(seriously, Mom, that’s just a joke, there aren’t really any!) — I also began to sense the darker side of double-sidedness. One’s inner twins are not necessarily IDENTICAL twins–and their internal grappling –all those thoughts begun with “on the other hand” often lead to indecisiveness, paralysis, (or, alternatively, a constant, and equally ineffectual, charging off in different directions.)
Heightened sensitivity to the opposing sides of any experience can also make it difficult to sustain clear emotional states–unalloyed delight, joy untinged by loss, exhilaration free of regret.
This type of inner division makes it hard to live as a functioning human being. However–and now I’m getting to the meat of this prompt–it can be quite useful as a poet.
“Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)”
So, wrote Walt Whitman (a quintessential Gemini) in “Song of Myself”, published in 1855, just prior to the Civil War, a time when his (and my) country was particularly divided into two fierce internal sides.
So, this is our prompt for the day – not zodiac signs (sorry!)–but twins, opposites, the divided self.
Take it where you will. Your poem can be about actual twins. (I can’t get out of my mind the two identical seventy-year old women who used to live in my building in Greenwich Village, still wearing virtually the same clothing, same hairstyle– a darkly-dyed flip, same make-up (heavy on the mascara and eyebrow pencil.)
Alternatively, your poem could be about opposites. (Not, in other words, those two women who lived in my building.)
Or it could be about the twins and opposites that populate a single brain and heart.
Or, if you like, your poem could be about some completely different kind of entwining—a two-yolked egg, a double-headed cherry, a moment of deja-vu, a person wrapped in a tree. (Okay, okay, I admit it. I just threw that last one in because I like the picture.)
One of me will definitely stop by to read it. And, hopefully, one part of each of you will also stop by to read your fellow poets as well.
So here’s the drill for newcomers:
- Write a poem that springs from any of the ideas of twins, opposites, divided selves. (Sorry – you’ve got to make up your mind!) Post it to your blog.
- Click on the Mr. Linky button below and put in your name and the direct link to your poem.
- Check out your fellow poets (in a spirit of community and not division). Tell them, if you like, in a positive i.e. constructive way your reaction to their poem.
- If you did like their poem, feel free to tell others about it on twitter or your preferred social media platform.
(Final note – all the pics here are made by me, all rights reserved. If you like the elephants, feel free to check out my children’s counting book 1 Mississippi. Also, and sorry for the plug, my young adult novel, Nose Dive, and book of poems, Going on Somewhere.)
ManicDdaily said:
Hi All! I will be in and out as I work on my own poem for the prompt. One thing I am very proud of is that I showed my children the picture of the twin elephants and the immediately recognized our old co-tenants from a few years back– So that was fun. Anyway, looking forward to all. I will visit, though as I said, may be gone for gaps. k.
Laurie Kolp said:
I loved your pics… made me smile. I’ll be in and out, too.
Laurie Kolp said:
Great prompt, Karin… and from one Gemini to another, I can easily say, “I relate!” Thanks.
ManicDdaily said:
Yes- of course, I knew you were a Gemini too – Happy Birthday! k.
Laurie Kolp said:
Happy Birthday to you, too. Mine’s the 2oth. When’s yours?
brian miller said:
and you will then be in your 30s right? smiles.
ManicDdaily said:
Mine was June 1. Thanks. k.
Heaven (@asweetlust) said:
Belated Happy day K ~ Thank you for the lovely prompt ~
Grace
ManicDdaily said:
Thanks so much, Grace. k.
brian miller said:
if you want i will jump out of a cake…smiles.
happy belated bday k
Miriam E. said:
ha, same as mine…
happy (belated) birthday! 🙂
it’s starting to freak me out bit how many Geminis we have on dVerse…
ManicDdaily said:
Wow – happy b-day b–latedly. k.
Miriam E. said:
😀
thanks, k!
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
Hello, I’m back in Sweden since this morning.. not to much jet-lagged but might have to head of to bead early… very nice prompt… and I immediately had an idea on where to go… happy saturday everyone.
ManicDdaily said:
Hey Bjorn – thank you for participating even jet-lagged. k.
hedgewitch said:
A great prompt, Karin. But you left out the traditional ‘Evil Twin!’ (Don’t worry–I’ve taken care of that for you.) I enjoyed your exploration of the general duality of our hearts and minds–I also wonder whether the old adage of opposites attracting isn’t about the idea of finding an odd completion, a part of our own self, most astonishingly, in someone totally different. I’m drawn most strongly to the idea that somewhere, somehow I *do* have a twin, even if I never find that person. Thanks for working so hard on your day off!
brian miller said:
ha. i had someone not too long ago tell me they met mine….hmm….
ManicDdaily said:
Oh dear! I am suddenly full of ideas for poems I might write when I start an anonymous blog. (They won’t be your evil twin, Brian, but experiences/thoughts that I at least might have a bit of hard time justifying to my clients.)
brian miller said:
ha. there is a certain comfort in the anonymous…smiles….
hedgewitch said:
Especially if you have an Evil Twin. ;_)
brian miller said:
or if you are the evil twin…smiles.
ManicDdaily said:
Ha!
ManicDdaily said:
Ha. I am looking forward to the evil twin. I honestly think of the division in terms of a kind of catch upon the soul – perhaps the super ego – but that’s not really such a twin as a, you know, parent. k.
PS – not you Mom (in case you ever happen to read.)
brian miller said:
ha. i like your elephants…the constellation one is cool…and the twin girls are cute…ha….and you make it easy to see the woman…that is a cool find….mines in…might have to do a twin of it just to keep in the spirit…smiles..
welcome back bjorn….happy saturday all…
ManicDdaily said:
Hi! Those are supposed to be old lady elephants! The women I am writing of – and anyone living in the West Village is likely to know them – and if they read this, they were very adorable in their way–were at least 70, but hard to make wrinkles on elephants, and their hair, of course, did not have a touch of grey!
geraldine snape said:
thankyou for the great prompt this week!…I have a few about twins as they are in the family!…twice over…lovely to be with the pub regulars!!
brian miller said:
woot…good to see you geraldine…
ManicDdaily said:
Geraldine – I found your poem terribly moving – I hope I read it properly – I think I did. Hard for me to move on after it actually. (But that’s good–I found it very powerful, esp. as a New Yorker.) k.
Madeleine Begun Kane said:
I confess that this is exceedingly silly:
A hard-working mother named May
Had three children and twins on the way.
When her spouse heard the news,
He guzzled some booze
And grumbled, “I should have been gay.”
brian miller said:
you know…if i found out i was having twins at this point, i might take up drinking as well….
ManicDdaily said:
Ha! Very charming, Madeleine.
Madeleine Begun Kane said:
LOL! And thanks!
Heaven (@asweetlust) said:
The picture of the elephants are cute K ~ Thank you for the interesting challenge ~ I wrote about divided selves and you mentioned mine is a bit of a cut-up poem ~ I was actually reading S. Platt’s poems, specially Sisters of Persephone, for inspiration. Smiles~
Happy Saturday to all ~
Grace
brian miller said:
plath is good inspiration for that…smiles.
ManicDdaily said:
Ps – thanks re elephants. The old twin sisters are not really so cute, but lifelike. (Ha.)
ManicDdaily said:
Only cut-up in that the images feel very original. Thanks for participating. k.
Glenn Buttkus said:
How lovely to find that you, I, and Walt Whitman are all Geminis. I got so entwined in duality, in Gemini lore, in introspection, my poem DOUBLE TROUBLE had several junctures, several points of view. Great prompt, thanks.
ManicDdaily said:
Thank you, Glenn. k.
grapeling said:
Karin, I think mine falls into the ‘evil twin’ side of the ledger, and I took a little liberty.
Also, I like the elephants. There’s no way to segue smoothly into that, so there you go. ~ M
ManicDdaily said:
Ha. Thanks. I really enjoyed your poem – great energy and ideas and wonderful response to the prompt. k.
Miriam E. said:
Such a great prompt, Karin. I, too, am a Gemini – what you wrote reverberates. Thank ylou for the inspiration!
As for my poem – it is quite… strange. I feel like apologizing in advance (guess I just did) – heh.
Will make my round soon!
brian miller said:
your poem was awesome! i love the parenthesis!!!!
Miriam E. said:
heh, thank you so much! wasn’t really sure about it, but i guess i’m having a strange kind of day… oh well, gotta accept that. 🙂
brian miller said:
hey strange is good….
sometimes..
ha
brian miller said:
dinner time…be back in a bit…keep it coming
and keep it up…another great group like thursday…you know 42 out 46 on thursday returned comment…that is awesome…
claudia said:
just coming back from a party…happy saturday everyone..
very cool drawings k – love the two old elephant ladies…smiles..
ManicDdaily said:
Thanks, Claudia. k.
claudia said:
ok…for the moment commented back and will be back tomorrow morning to catch a few more… terribly tired because of some medicine i took against hay fever… i almost fall asleep while walking around…ha…smiles..see you in the morning..
ManicDdaily said:
Feel better. k.
brian miller said:
oy hope you feel better with a little rest claudia…
too much fun today eh? smiles.
Victoria C. Slotto said:
Very fun, Karin. I’m taking a few days break but may come up with something to post later. Love the pics.
ManicDdaily said:
Thanks so much, Victoria. k.
Mary said:
Interesting prompt, Karin! Always fun to see what everyone comes up with. Happy birthday to you and all the Geminis!!
ManicDdaily said:
Thanks so much, Mary. k.
hypercryptical said:
Thanks for an excellent prompt Karin – found this easy to fulfill. Letting so many of my secrets out of late,,,
Anna :o]
ManicDdaily said:
Thanks, Anna. (We won’t tell.) k.
Anders Woje Ellingsen said:
What you do with those elephants of yours is fantastic. Really enjoyable. 🙂
ManicDdaily said:
Thanks so much, Anders. It is enjoyable for me too. k.
aprille said:
Twins is still a sore subject for me.
Still, I tried to make light of it.
The blogging world seems full of Gemini people all of a sudden.
ManicDdaily said:
Ha. Yes. I’m sorry that the subject is unpleasant for you–I realize that there are all kinds of difficult associations. k.
Linda Rogers said:
Great prompt Karin~there are so many ways I could go with this. I’m a identical twin and have my Master’s in Counseling Psychology~ I’ve studied Carl Jung’s work on opposites or what he calls the shadow or conscious vs unconscious. I’ll see how these factors work into a poem. Thanks for hosting.
ManicDdaily said:
Thank you, Linda – I have house guests and some job work so needed to take a break but will catch up now. k.
ManicDdaily said:
PS – all sounds interesting. k.
brian miller said:
playing catch up…went tot he movies with the fam…saw the GROODS….cute story…
ManicDdaily said:
Ha. I don’t know my moon – or I did at some point, but it is at this point as unclear as the dark side of the moon. Happy Birthday, Shay. k.
claudia said:
good morning…played catch up and now off to take a group of customers to the europa park for a bit of roller coaster fun before their seminar starts on monday..smiles… happy sunday everyone
David King said:
Excellent prompt. So many possibilities… quite spoiled for choice.
ManicDdaily said:
Thanks – you chose well! k.
brian miller said:
good morning poets…will be in and out throughout the day….
punnypalaver said:
k–great prompt. So many ways this could go–splitting oneself open can be painful.
ManicDdaily said:
Too true. Thanks, Punny. k.
brian miller said:
heading out for a day on the james….be back this eve to check in…
ManicDdaily said:
I also have a fair amount of job work to do so have to focus on that for a while but will check in, k.
brian miller said:
we picked up a good number of links today but the last one visiting anyone is truedessa…hmmm…
brian miller said:
linda broke the streak…smiles…
Grace said:
Smiles back ~ The responses have been wide & varied, very interesting prompt ~
Snakypoet (Rosemary Nissen-Wade) said:
Linking to a poem from 2006, about a woman in another country. We spent only little time together but recognised each other as soul twins, and still keep in touch.
claudia said:
good morning… came back yesterday after midnite – so went straight to bed – now doing some catch up – hope you’re all having a wonderful start into the new week
brian miller said:
playing catch up as well….a storm knocked our net out last night…
good morning poets…
ManicDdaily said:
Hey, Brian! k.
brian miller said:
hey k….smiles.