Last Day of NaPoWriMo 2009, New Chapbook and other news

In honor of the last day of NaPoWriMo 2009 I wrote a whopping six poems. I tried to make the musical choices eclectic…

Untitled #46: “Insanity” by Oingo Boingo. This was fun, straight-forward SOC. The song was suggested by a follower on Twitter. The poem should be a good time to revise.

Untitled #47: “The Rainbow Connection” sung by Willie Nelson. This poem, led by the song, is about growing up. How the dreams you have when you’re a child don’t always come true.

Untitled #48: “Just Dropped In…” by Kenny Rogers. I chose this song because it’s in The Big Lebowski, and I love that film. As for the poem…I’ll say this, if you have heard the song then you know what direction the poem went.

Untitled #49: “New Slang” by The Shins. This poem took a dark and dirty turn. I have no idea how I’ll revise it. I think it will be on the shelf until the end of May.

Untitled #50: “Supernova” by Liz Phair. This poem was an easy write. I tried to keep it from any feminist slants but it still came out.

Untitled #51: “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye. This was beautiful to write. The experience was a great one.

____________________________________

Today’s poem, “SWF“,  is from my chapbook, Urban Tumbleweed, Vol. 1: In Search of Greener Grass. NOW AVAILABLE, you can find it HERE!

SWF

There was a time when I would hear your voice
echo down the hallway,
hallucinations repelling down the walls.
Those were the times I would dream of wading
in a man-made ocean,
emerging dry as a bone.
Salt water repelling off of my numb skin.
I would dream of drowning, grasping for life as it swam by,
finally resurfacing for fresh air.
I would awake to the sound of a stillness so loud
it shook the walls.
Now I sit alone, with my eyes wide open,
no longer missing your breath hanging in the air.
(The only proof of your existence.)
My hallucinations faded with daybreak.
Your voice silenced by my apathy,
and face forgotten in a crowd.
I reminisce on better moments
and inhale the smell of warm coffee grounds
while I watch dust catch sunlight
as it slowly falls to polished wood,
and smile, enjoying my solitude.

(c) TygerLily Ernst Wonch

____________________________________

And, if you haven’t checked it out yet, my photography is on EXHIBIT at New Chemical History. Take a look! I hope you enjoy it.

NaPoWriMo update: Apr 29, New Chapbook and other news

Untitled #43: “Ace of Spades” by Motorhead. This song was chosen for nostalgic reasons. When I would play hookie from work I would stay home and play video games. This song was popular on the Tony Hawk game. The poem ended up being about a person I don’t know. Complete fiction. It was a fun time though.

Untitled #44: “Grace” by Jeff Buckley. This poem was an interesting one. It was hard to get started and took a couple of flips and turns, but it’s going to be a good one.

Untitled #45: “Beth” by KISS. Again this was true SOC. A great deal of fun to write.

Today’s poem, “dreaming in metaphor”,  is from my chapbook, “Urban Tumbleweed, Vol. 1: In Search of Greener Grass”. NOW AVAILABLE, you can find it HERE!

dreaming in metaphor.

last night I dreamt of Warhol
wearing green crushed polyester,
his arms spread as he flew in a
water colored, tie-dyed, psychedelic sky.
with his feet on the ground,
and nose pressed to glass,
he watched me trapped in Hopper
on my knees
with Chop Suey dripping down my chin.

my dreams turn to leather pants
and Hendrix as court jester,
listening to the chain squeak
as I sway
on the red velvet swing.
soon visions mutate in the
Crayola Midnight Blue
with sleepy memories of
a bone breaking
on a tire swing dismount,
Orange Crush tickling my tongue
coloring it fluorescent in jest,
while I laugh at her failure to fly.

there were sleepy conversations
with a man in leathered skin,
his shell browned by his need for fresh air.
we shared coffee as he babbled on
of his love for Hopper’s Easy Rider
though he didn’t get the end,
to him, it was genius personified.

“do you swing?”  he asked
growing larger in height,
the seams of his leather vest
giving in to swollen shoulders,
his eyes crushed flat
and mouth sewn shut
by the word no
(but it was only a dream).

as a child I often flew in dreams.
soaring above telephone wires,
unable to land,
as people laughed
at me
the little jester.
soon finding me unqualified
they found a jester,
new and improved,
as I would fall back to earth
like a rollercoaster.

I once dreamt of a girl
named Hopper
(I think it was a dream).
she taught me
how to fly with out fear,
to kiss with passion,
to swing so high
my feet crushed clouds.
to love the smell of leather.
in childhood memories of REM movies
I would play the role
of Leather Tuscadaro.
so cool I would be
fending off nerds with crushed hearts,
though secretly enjoying it
because Potsie was really my favorite.
with my eyes closed tightly
I dove into a Hopper piece,
sitting on a chair,
swinging my legs,
as I watched Brooklyn and wished for wings.

but now awake,
I sit in silence
as witness to dust flying on
air currents
landing on my old leather jacket.
I sit with quiet on my shoulders
remembering swing sets,
Judy Blume,
and the teasing jests, of boys.
I wait for noise and
think about Hoppers’ last scene
and his motorcycles’ last dance,
reality crushed by a bullet,
how I did get the end.

I no longer dream of flying
and Hendrix resigned as jester,
the smell of leather left me
in a pawn shop
and Hoppers’ only ambition
is to provide the day,
but on occasions my feet still crush clouds
as I swing.

(c) TygerLily Ernst Wonch

And, if you haven’t checked it out yet, my photography is on EXHIBIT at New Chemical History. Take a look! I hope you enjoy it.

NaPoWriMo update: Apr 28, New Chapbook and other news

Untitled #40: “Color My World” by Chicago. This was another that ended up for my hubby. It was hard to get started but it ended up flowing nicely.

Untitled #41: “Strawberry Wine” by Deana Carter. I chose this song because it was one that I enjoyed when I was younger. It has no real attachments. So the poem that came of it was really weird. I enjoyed writing it for sure.

Untitled #42: “Rhiannon” by Fleetwood Mac. This poem flowed nicely. It was a pleasure to write because it was so strange. I’m looking forward to editing and sharing it.

Today’s poem is from my chapbook, “Urban Tumbleweed, Vol. 1: In Search of Greener Grass”. Now available, you can find it HERE!

The Zealot

Driving through tunnel vision tequila swimming in my head
I listen to a young Elvis sing of heartbreaks while Rose
sits passenger style with a rag over her eyes,

We leave with dawn at our backs wondering if this is a good
idea but it is dawn that pushes us to our goal as the sun
tunnels its way through the skyline and the daily rag targets porch swings and fills display bins while I watch Ken dolls in Speedos stand dripping and half-naked rising for their morning routine with their hair slicked back like Elvis,

It is he who we search for like Thompson and his attorney
searching for the “American Dream” the great Elvis at
Graceland just waiting for our knock on the door the idea
materializing in the bottom of a shot glass back before dawn had begun contemplating its rise,

So we sit in my truck its southern destination approaches
with each centimeter of the tunnel passing overhead and with a kiss to the wind we leave the swimmers behind,

My companion hides her hangover underneath that cotton rag
while I make a sharp left in the excitement of his face there on a billboard greeting me to let me know how close I have come I loudly reminisce of wise men though my eyes still swim laps I look to the west and bid farewell to dawn
as morning tries to make a break for it Rose now watches my hands at 10 and 2,

But it’s Rose who sheds herself of her rag her cloak coming out of her own private tunnel saying she now prefers Dylan and would rather follow the dawn to western highways but my
head is still swimming thanks to that last shot and light rises too quickly for my old Chevrolet unwilling to meet dawn’s deadline,

She looks through cotton again searching for sleep and I can see Elvis waiting for us in his Mamas’ dining room and tunnel vision subsides no longer swimming between my ears and that rag slips down Roses’ cheek and Elvis sings along to the beat of the departing dawn smiling at me from the end of the tunnel.

(c) TygerLily Ernst Wonch

And, if you haven’t checked it out yet, my photography is on EXHIBIT at New Chemical History. Take a look! I hope you enjoy it.

NaPoWriMo update: Apr 27 and other news

Untitled #36: “Burning Down the House” by Talking Heads. The one was a lot of fun to write. I have no idea what it is…but it will be fun to revise.

Untitled #37: “At Last” by Etta James. I have always loved this song and with my anniversary coming up it seemed appropriate to write this poem.

Untitled #38: “Working on a Dream” by Bruce Springsteen. This was a difficult poem to write. It was hard to find inspiration. The poem ended up very basic, naked almost.

Untitled #39: “Jumpers” by Sleater Kinney. This was fun to write. I didn’t attach anything personal to it. I just followed where my pencil took me.

I’ve been getting comments about my not having my poetry up. As I posted earlier, I don’t release rough poems. So in effort to offer you something, during the rest of April I will be posting a poem from my upcoming chapbook, Urban Tumbleweed, Vol. 1: To Search for Greener Grass.

Here you go!!

Tender

Sitting on the desert floor,
wishing I could remember
the patron saint of torture victims.
“I am calling you” bellows from the radio
as I sing along, at the top of my lungs,
serenading the same sunset
that evokes my fear of darkness.
Embers dance as you watch my lips move,
just one moment off beat.
A thick smoke divides us,
while we willingly drift apart.
Sideswiped by tumbleweed
passing through.
I close my eyes,
turn my face to the sky,
and converse
with the moon.

(c) TygerLily Ernst Wonch

And, if you haven’t checked it out yet, my photography is on EXHIBIT at New Chemical History. Take a look! I hope you enjoy it.

NaPoWriMo update: Apr 24

Untitled #35: “Mad World” by Gary Jules. Originally I assumed that this song would lead to a poem about my sister-in-law. But that’s not what happened. It deals with chaos and crowds. There’s some sadness there but how can you avoid it with this song playing in the background.

I only wrote one poem today (and I skipped yesterday) because my MS is having an effect on my writing hand. If I use it too much it begins to tingle and other symptoms appear. All I can say is that having Multiple Sclerosis sucks. Some people have it way worse than I do. I understand that I don’t have it as bad as others do. But when it affects my ability to write or use my camera it gets frustrating to say the least. Ugh. Ah well I’m done venting for now.

Have a great day!!

NaPoWriMo update: Apr 22

Untitled #30: “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers. The background behind this song is that it has been ‘our song’ since my husband and I started dating. With our May wedding anniversay coming in a couple of weeks, I thought that this was a song that deserved a poem.

Untitled #31: “Come to Daddy” by Aphex Twin. This was a very difficult poem to write. If any of you are familiar with Aphex Twins videos…they are super creepy. With that playing in the background it’s no wonder why the poem was so dark.

Untitled #32: “Heart-Shaped Box” by Nirvana. This poem seemed to take a turn toward vanity and a hatred for it.

Untitled #33: “Mother and Child Reunion” by Paul Simon. This poem ended up being about my nephews funeral. After reading the lyrics it seems that stillbirth is the topic.

Untitled #34: “Girl in the War” by Josh Ritter. This poem was weird! It has dragons in it and something with a gun.

Happy Earth Day Everyone!!!

+++ Please check out my EXHIBIT at New Chemical History!! I hope you enjoy it.+++

NaPoWriMo update: Apr 21

Untitled #26: “Tangled Up In Blue” by Bob Dylan. The song has been a favorite of mine for a long time. It was great fun to write to. The poem ended up being an empowering breakup poem.

Untitled #27: “Box of Rain” by The Grateful Dead. This poem begins with a bird crashing into a window and ends with a moth burning in a fire. I have no idea where this came from.

Untitled #28: “Ohio” by Neil Young. This poem was a hard one to do. The song was a bad choice. But it’s done. Who knows what it will turn into.

Untitled #29: “Jealous Guy” written by John Lennon and sung by Donny Hathaway. This poem was another empowering breakup poem. I’m finding that these are the ones that show my growth with the past.

+++ Please check out my EXHIBIT at New Chemical History!! I hope you enjoy it.+++

A NaPoWriMo update.

Untitled #23: “Santa Monica” by Everclear. The song really took me back. The poem reflects that nostalgia. It touches on past loves/hates but it doesn’t dwell.

Untitled #24: “Heads Carolina, Tails California” by JoDee Messina. This one was nostalgic as well with the song coming out about the same time as “Santa Monica”. The poem focuses on travelling with my mother before it took a bad turn. It was happy and hopeful.

Untitled #25: “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” by The Rolling Stones. This poem was a surprize. I have no clue what it’s about. It’s sort of trippy though (Happy 4/20!).

Well, Happy 4/20 everyone! Hope you have a great day!

+++ Please check out my EXHIBIT at New Chemical History!! I hope you enjoy it.+++

Another amazing NaPoWriMo experience.

Untitled #21: Lost in the Supermarket by The Clash. Another good time. This poem was trippy. I really can’t explain it. But it was a good time.

Untitled #22: “Go On, Say It” by Blind Pilot. This one was a lot of fun! I pictured an empty highway on a moonlit night. I was very peaceful to write.

With all of the new writing that I’ve been doing I am really starting to see improvement. It makes me happy because I was terrified that I had lost my voice, and with the effects of MS on the brain I had good reason for worry.

It occurred to me that I should explain my method. First, I choose a poem that inspires me or has meaning. I look up the lyrics and choose individual words that stand out. I then use those words to create my poem. I really recommend it. It’s a good exercise.

+++ Please check out my EXHIBIT at New Chemical History!! I hope you enjoy it.

An amazing NaPoWriMo experience.

Untitled #19: Time Has Told Me by Nick Drake. This poem was complete SOC. I haven’t had a feeling like this when writing a poem in a while. It was a pleasure. It was about everything and nothing. I pictured wind over a clear blue ocean when I wrote this. I can’t wait to edit it and share it with you all.

Untitled #20: “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” by Elton John & Bernie Taipin. This was a weird experience. As always with SOC, I had no idea what or who the topic was. It ended up about my sister-in-law and her son made an appearance at the end. It made me sad because it revolved around her coping with his loss and I’m not sure if the ending is sad or not. I actually am lost about that…weird.

Don’t forget to check out my EXHIBIT at New Chemical History!! I hope you enjoy it.