Today's prompts from Write Better Poetry and NaPoWriMo: (1) Write a poem with the title "No _________," and (2) "try writing your own poem that uses an animal that shows up in myths and legends as a metaphor for some aspect of a contemporary person’s life. Include one spoken phrase."
I took the prompt rather literally today, and I'm not sure what the "spoken phrase" would be - I ended up writing in the first person so that whole last stanza sounds "spoken." Maybe the phrase in quotes ("You break it, you bought it") wound count. Anyway, here's the poem.
No Ordinary Bull
The Mesopotamians saw it first in the heavens,
with long pointed horns and a bright, bloodshot eye.
The Greeks say Zeus put it there, to remind us
of the time he became a bull to seduce Europa.
Now it still rises in the late-April night,
when the sensual world is in full bloom—
tulips, cherry trees, azaleas—
and the red eye of Aldebaran still glares down.
Some born under that sign became famous:
Shakespeare and Florence Nightingale,
but also Hitler and John Wilkes Booth.
The astrologers say, we Taureans are steadfast
and loyal, artistic and loving,
materialistic, stubborn, and slow to change.
That’s me in a nutshell.
I’m also dangerous in a china shop—
“You break it, you bought it” was invented for me.
But I’m also a peaceful sort,
like the Spanish bull Ferdinand
in that kid’s storybook. Rather than fight,
I’d prefer to sit under a tree on a hill
and smell the flowers.
with long pointed horns and a bright, bloodshot eye.
The Greeks say Zeus put it there, to remind us
of the time he became a bull to seduce Europa.
when the sensual world is in full bloom—
tulips, cherry trees, azaleas—
and the red eye of Aldebaran still glares down.
Shakespeare and Florence Nightingale,
but also Hitler and John Wilkes Booth.
The astrologers say, we Taureans are steadfast
and loyal, artistic and loving,
materialistic, stubborn, and slow to change.
I’m also dangerous in a china shop—
“You break it, you bought it” was invented for me.
But I’m also a peaceful sort,
like the Spanish bull Ferdinand
in that kid’s storybook. Rather than fight,
I’d prefer to sit under a tree on a hill
and smell the flowers.
8 comments:
Great choice, the bull ... and makes for a great title. Good spoken phrase too. I almost thought that you were going to write couplets with those first two lines. Good poem, bravo!
Yeah, it just worked out that way. Maybe I'll try to turn it into a rhyming poem.
Bruce, or else relineate so the rhyme is not obvious.
I think it's fine as is. I wouldn't make it rhyming. Or "as is" except for that red herring in the first two lines.
Or maybe move "in the sky" earlier in the line.
Good advice, thanks. I'll tinker with it.
There, I changed "sky" to "heavens" and did a little other minor tinkering. Fixed! And you're right, that rhyme was a red herring. I think I started out thinking it might be a rhyming poem, but the poem had other ideas.
Great revision. Congrats!
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