Smiles… not that Bri and I are competitive— or love wins— hahah
But we thought it would be cool to have our own little joust here at dVerse where we put on the armor, grab the shield and lance, get on our horses and into a little (friendly) fight where we all can show off our skillz and entertain you a bit… smiles
So each of us selected a poem and we ask you to grab one line, either of Bri’s or my poem and write your own poem, based on the line you chose.
Here are the poems…
if i stay —
(by Brian Miller)
The boy working the register is dying
you have to be quick
to catch it
the skin etches one molecule at a time
& the cracks in our mask move with us
keeping illusions complete
he doesn’t
know this
as he makes change
a chip inside computes
& even tells him how much of each denomination
he should give back
we’ve lost our capacity
to count
& he’s too young
to understand all we go through
to find ourselves
in his line,
surrounded by news
of our modern gods — relationship
statuses, paternity tests
& impulse buys—
check your breath
you might need a mint—
one day the paint becomes too heavy
for the wall, when you cover it up
so often
“have a good day.”
“you too.”
& the receipt he hands me
crumples between my fingers & palm
into a small world
i discard in the can by the door
i need no reminder
the cost.
sketching on Portobello Road//the clock//is body-less
(by Claudia Schönfeld)
time’s measured in a thin line on a cat’s back
we sit on the floor//sketching on location
“what’s the difference?” she asks
“you could take a photo, draw at home–“
“it is not the same” he says
“on the street you’re in the middle of emotions, touch
temperature/the energy& tiredness,
& you will sense it later in the sketch–“
grapes of people in the midday heat
hunting between market stalls
fresh cooked food
from different nations, fruit and vegetables
we put ink to paper
spilling color washes from a box placed
on the lap/floor,
time stands still
tick //TocK//tiCk
some curious little kids check on our sketchbooks
“can i take a photo?” asks a chinese guy
we’re chasing lines//laughing//joking
with traders
later we will cross
tower bridge into the night
searching for cracks on boardwalks
leading//somewhere
toward midnight i walk up a plushy stairway
in an old house in the very heart of things
and cannot find my door
the cat grins
“choose”
“i can’t remember” i say
&she purrs, a friendly smile upon her face
i try the first //psssshhh
second // a blond, russian girl appears
“sorry” i say “i can’t find my room”
“oh, it’s this one– round the corner”
she points sleepily
&that is where i lie
half-awake all night,
listening to the music//voices on the streets
the city’s scent
the waitress’ smile with meth-foul teeth,
my bridge
tick //TocK//tick
&time stands still
a stranger in the corner
with a piece of minty chocolate
on her lips
So get your armors&shields polished and pens going. Will it be Team Brian or Team Claudia — we’ll see you back here when Mr. Linky goes up at 3pm EST…
Grace said:
Good morning ~ Both you and Brian are winners in my book, smiles ~
I got my line & see you later ~ This should be fun 🙂
brian miller said:
ha. well i wrote for Team Claudia so…
but hey, if i got to be knocked off my horse,
i’d rather it be claudia — you know…
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
I agree with Grace.. there are only winners in a game like this.. Line is picked and poetry written 🙂
Glenn Buttkus said:
I like the rambunctious few out here on the trail who used lines from both Brian & claudia; finding a diplomatic solution. I jumped onto Team Brian, but the unofficial tally leaves no one unhorsed so far.
Snakypoet (Rosemary Nissen-Wade) said:
Crikey, how can I live up to either of you poetic geniuses?! And how could I choose? I might just shut my eyes and stab my finger on the screen at random. 🙂
georgeplace2013 said:
Line chosen and poem written. Lovely prompt, just what I needed this morning.
The Course of Our Seasons said:
Ohhh wow – choosing maybe the most difficult part! See you this afternoon!
wolfsrosebud said:
LOL… no it was easy!
MarinaSofia said:
Plenty of good lines to choose from, so I used them in abundance – thou shalt see, ye of little faith!
dkirkstokes said:
Brian, my family has been in the grocery-store business for generations (I took a different path) so your poem resonated with me. It also reminded me of an experience in which a young man at the register in a different store refused to exchange a $5 bill for five ones, so that the line could move along. He said it would “mess up his register”. I was astounded, and if my children hadn’t been with me, I may have furthered his education a bit. : ) However, a line from Claudia’s poem caught me… But right now I have to go play in the snow. Almost half a foot fell yesterday, and the woods are calling. A pain in most parts of the country, but it’s a rare treat in Mississippi. See y’all later.
brian miller said:
my grandfather was in the grocery business for years…
ugh on the customer service as well…that just frustrates everyone….
we got snow as well…only about 4-5 inches this time…been out shoveling this morning…
Mary said:
Brian, you have really had a MESS of snow this year!!
brian miller said:
yes indeed…i am over it now…i wanted it for a long time…but being out of school 7 out of the last 9 days…oy…just makes it hard…
dkirkstokes said:
I don’t own a snow shovel, and for that I am thankful. My walk was very satisfying, and I’ve written my piece, pirating three of Claudia’s lines for it. A fun exercise.
Myrna said:
I just read both poems and got lost in them. I forgot I was supposed to pick a line. That’s gonna be really hard. It’s intimidating to bounce off you guys. Too hard to imitate perfection. But I’ll try and put something together.
brian miller said:
ha. no imitation needed…just pick a line and let it take you like a current…ha…
and really though we have billed it as a competition, its all in fun…except of course the side bet we have…ha
ds said:
Choosing definitely the hardest part…like Rosemary I may have to close my eyes & jab at the screen…see you later..& it’s snowing here. Again.
brian miller said:
we got ours last night…
slpmartin said:
My so many good lines one could work from…love the competition.
claudia said:
hey charles… nice to see you in the pub…smiles
one of the poets i met in real life… and spent a lovely day with
Gay Reiser Cannon said:
Hi y’all. Have an eye doctor appt. which has been postponed til today because of the ice storm. I won’t be home until late afternoon. I’d appreciate someone hooking up my link to Mr. Linky when it comes up. I used a line from Claudia’s poem – mine is called Time In The Measure of Nine. It’s here: https://hollyheir.wordpress.com/2015/02/25/time-in-the-measure-of-nine/
claudia said:
hey gay – hope the doc appointment goes well…
Gay Reiser Cannon said:
having cataract surgery in a couple of weeks … looking for more clarity LOL
Gabriella said:
I had a hard time deciding and nearly chose one from each poem, but then I decided i’d go by the rules. Maybe I should have been a bit bolder.
Mary said:
Ah, it is a wonderful day for a tournament….this will be fun! And everyone who is part of the dVerse community is definitely a winner in my book!
Anthony Desmond said:
okay… ref is here… no funny stuff or else I’ll blow the whistle… haha
Mary said:
Oh no, a whistle-blower in our midst! Beware.
Anthony Desmond said:
lol! so intimidating, right? 🙂 🙂
brian miller said:
hahahahahahaha
good thing we are not a huge corporation
or we might be in trouble…
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
Soon soon the linky comes up.. counting down and then rush to link 🙂
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
Game is on 🙂
claudia said:
thanks for adding mr. linky…
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
Oh I have to get trained 🙂
brian miller said:
i have this feeling i might be falling from my horse a few times….
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
Who is keeping the count.. ?
claudia said:
woot!
made it just in time and out on the trail to read…
Bryan Ens said:
…this was like parents asking their child, “pick your favourite: mom or dad!” I finally did settle on a line, but it was no easy task!
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
Oh that was scary.. but I have a second poem up my sleeve… he he.
claudia said:
hahah… it’s just a game… so no worries… i will still talk to you – either way…smiles
brian miller said:
as long as you pick the right one you are good…i did tell you there was extra allowance this month in picking me right? hahaha…
its me she may not talk to…
smiles.
claudia said:
hahah… maybe i’ll be pouting for a bit if i lose… and maybe not… you can never know with these artists… they’re just so unpredictable… smiles
brian miller said:
smiles.
look i am the one that pouts
in this relationship —
we can not have two.
lol.
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
Now I have evened out between the two of you 🙂
brian miller said:
hey, i thought we were not counting…ha.
kelly said:
Unfortunately, I got slammed with work today and won’t be able to join in the games after all since I have to work tonight… but happy jousting to all, two great poems to start from!
claudia said:
ugh.. sorry to hear this kelly… no fun when work piles up…
kelly said:
Thanks… the life of a freelancer… hard to plan sometimes. I’ll try to catch up on reading some of the other entries when time allows.
Bryan Ens said:
dang…just realized I should have added a 3rd stanza to my poem…something about the miller “enjoying the view for the last time…because he had just sold the facility to a Swedish corporation…” smiles
claudia said:
you know – i’m already a fan of two big swedish corporations..ha.. one is furniture – one is clothes… smiles
brian miller said:
ha.
i can come back and visit any time…
smiles.
claudia said:
hey.. i’m getting tired from all the battling… ha… sir timothy of bri`an is giving me a hard time and i cannot hold myself on that horse anymore… needing some sleep… smiles.. will be back in the morning to check for the overnites…
brian miller said:
sleep well friend…
Kathy Reed said:
Hope you had a good night, Claudia…rest is so important! Ok, I couldn’t help myself as one line out of each of your poems jumped out at me; all were good leads or prompts to other poems, but I went with my gut. Hope you had a good day at work, Brian, and Bjorn, I’m looking forward to reading what you thought up..and everyone else, too.
Snow's Fissures and Fractures said:
Well, this was fun. Hope there were no casualities in the jousting. I’ll be sure to visit each and everyone of you over the next few days.
Anthony Desmond said:
none yet… hahah
Mary said:
Ha – I just posted #2…….the first one used a phrase from Brian’s, the second used a phrase from Claudia’s. Let the joust continue. Smiles.
C.C. said:
Brian & Claudia—-you are awesome 🙂 Such amazing poetry from you both!
brian miller said:
why thank you…you joining in the fun?
Ginny Brannan said:
Finally home from work to share my post. Afraid I am an “equal opportunity” writer. Used two lines from each of you so they kind of cancelled each other out —unless using Claudia’s line as my title counts as extra 1/2 point!! Love both poems. Thanks for the inspiration!
brian miller said:
that is quite alright…that is also why each of us wrote about the others…no real winning sides and at the same time, both winning…smiles.
Glenn Buttkus said:
Just a line from Brian, & eureka, two pages of poetics blossom quickly; so it goes from one word, or one image, or the straightjacketed parameters of a Form. this was a fun-filled way to exit stage right.
brian miller said:
we will surely peek back in from stage left….ha
Truedessa said:
Both poems are great with some amazing lines, but I have picked mine as it jumped from the page begging to be used. Happy writing and reading everyone.
brian miller said:
hey tru…
gailatthefarm said:
Both poems were great. I’m playing on both sides.
brian miller said:
more than fair…smiles.
Snakypoet (Rosemary Nissen-Wade) said:
Glad I’m not the only one. 🙂
claudia said:
miles…. with writing to brian’s lines i’m playing on both sides as well… only winners in this joust… smiles
Snakypoet (Rosemary Nissen-Wade) said:
Well, I didn’t after all shut my eyes and stab at the screen randomly, as I was fantasising about earlier on. In fact, right from the beginning, one line in each poem stood out for me, and my mind ran away with the notion of how I could have one lead to the other…. So I have not followed the rules and can’t really be counted in any scoring. But although I cannot joust, perhaps I may parade?
brian miller said:
ha. you are not the only one…
have you seen sabio’s…he actually turned it into a form…
parade all you want rosemary…smiles.
Snakypoet (Rosemary Nissen-Wade) said:
Yes, haven’t read half yet, but already I see I am far from alone. And yes, I saw Sabio’s wonderful response. 🙂
brian miller said:
alright, kanzen is my last for the night…my eyes are starting to droop a bit…
be back in the morning to see who rides the horse in the night…
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
I have done some morning catchup.. At least I know which line has been used the most 😉
claudia said:
on my morning round as well… just the internet in the hotel is very crappy again though i’m walking slowly… and have to leave for the workshop now… will catch up with everyone in the evening…
really enjoyed the entries i read so far… so much fun… we should joust more often… smiles
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
I loved the idea.. and what you could make from a single line..
Gay Reiser Cannon said:
Good day poets…well it’s still morning here and it’s Texas and it’s snowing! Wow! Nevertheless must trek through it to the cancer center with Ron. Doubtful I will take computer…they’re access site blocks blogs, so will be reading more later in the day as I’ve only read less than half of your poems. Never fear, dear poets, shall get round to all your castles before too very long. You’ve put up very brave pieces as we’ve taken time travel into the bargain on this challenge!
Bryan Ens said:
Just a thought for Bjorn…this format of having the prompt up early was great, would this be something that might work in the future? (I’m fine either way, but it was nice to see the prompt early)
-Bryan
brian miller said:
it was an idea that they were kicking around for the future…so we totally stole it to try it out…ha
Snakypoet (Rosemary Nissen-Wade) said:
Living in a different hemisphere, it was a bit anxiety-making not to know at the outset how much time I had. (3PM EST you say, and that would require googling and complicated sums and comparisons to figure out what it is here.) I usually see the prompts just before bedtime, too tired to try and compose until I wake some hours later, so it’s often a tight thing. On the other hand, it was good to get, as it seemed, some extra time to work on a poem. Mr Linky was actually up before I even got started (anxiety again – how long before it closes, will I be in time?) but I made it, and I see it still hasn’t expired 24 hours later. I guess what would work best for me would be a mention in the post for every prompt of how many hours we have to complete it. That could perhaps be included in the usual list of instructions?
Bryan Ens said:
I think that Mr.Linky shows how many hours until it expires.
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
Good input.. we should add the hours clearly on an info page…
brian miller said:
its always been 33 hours…
Snakypoet (Rosemary Nissen-Wade) said:
Yes, Mr Linky does show that. But if Mr Linky doesn’t go up immediately…. And yet, the idea of a pre-Linky time to address the prompt is nice. (Well, also I would like a bit longer as a general rule.) Having the hours on an info page could work, too.
mishunderstood said:
This was a great idea! I went with Team Claudia but enjoyed both for sure with so many interesting lines to choose from.
Be back as soon as I can. Had a rotten day at work, but this made me smile. 🙂 Thanks!
Adriana Citlali Ramírez said:
I was late with my poem –Mr. Linky had shut the door already. But I am still curious. Who won?