Thru
her window,
a shack returns
to its origins
in the crick,
a ladder climbs
to a second-story
window.
liar liar
pants on fire
The window
seems
to radiate
as flames
lick
walls.
She finds
her center
by pressing
her belly
against
the cold wall.
Deceiver, dissembler
Your trousers are alight
From what pole or gallows
Do they dangle in the night?
Can an angel
appear
outside
your window
if the burning bush
freezes?
She must
speak the truth.
 |
| photo by Marian Kent |
Written for Kerry's pastiche prompt to the Real Toads, with apologies to William Blake. (The italicized fifth stanza is from William Blake's poem "The Liar.")
"Deceiver, dissembler
ReplyDeleteYour trousers are alight
From what pole or gallows
Do they dangle in the night?"
Clever and gorgeous.
those are the lines that are pure William Blake!
Deletedo not be deceived, they are not my own.
apologies... i've added a parenthetical to very clearly attribute the words to Blake.
it's from his poem "The Liar" which is thought to be the origin of the "liar, liar, pants on fire" children's rhyme.
If you find out the answer to the question about angels, let me know! Or perhaps William Blake might know?
ReplyDeletei'd love to ask him!
Deleteooh, this was so clever and made me think of a movie I just saw!
ReplyDelete;D I love the humor and wonder in your poem~
what movie!?
DeleteIO read this as a hodge-podge type pastiche of many different snippets aligned to present an interesting whole. There is a nod to William Blake, but the end result is pure Marian Kent. Thanks for bringing this wonderful interpretation of the prompt to the garden.
ReplyDeleteShe finds
her center
by pressing
her belly
against
the cold wall.... (Loved these lines best of all.)
I..O.. U know what I meant, right?
Deleteof course i do... xoxo
DeleteOooh - I've no idea why, but this immediately made me think of Jane Eyre and the wife in the burning attic. I doubt that was your intent, but so so vivid anyway!
ReplyDeleteBlake so loved the heated acid of etching, that I cannot imagine the bush freezing or the cold wall, which makes this poem perfect and romantic in the way "Like Water for Chocolate" allows melting for the truth of LOVE and the bier of togetherness. The ladder is a nice touch.
ReplyDeleteMarian!! Love your poem and this:
ReplyDelete"Can an angel
appear
outside
your window
if the burning bush
freezes?
She must
speak the truth."
I LOVE that portion!! Great writing, Marian!!
Can an angel appear outside your window if the burning bush freezes?...just a small part of everything I love about this piece. After reading everyone's work, I am tempted to take mine down. It sucketh...lol
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful prompt this has been to produce such fabulous work. Like Susie, I am shamed by my attempt.
ReplyDeletevery clever
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad the real poets in Real Toads allow frivolous versifiers like me to participate, but I might have to agree with Susie and Viv right now. Mine is partly written but is mere doggerel, and I am debating whether to post it.
ReplyDeleteYou and William Blake are a formidable combination, Marian.
K
okay this trend of badmouthing one's own poetry upon reading another's? STOPPETH. :)
ReplyDeletexoxox to all of you WHOSE POEMS I LOVE, EVERY ONE.
I believe the answer to the question about angels is ... yes. This is awesome pastiche poetry!!
ReplyDeletei hope you are right!
DeleteI feel you've done a great work here. In a sense, you are almost using Pastiche to subvert Blake (fine by me!). The cold bellies, the crick and ladder, the call back to Liar, Liar pants on fire: such a strange sing-song for children. I really dig what you've done here.
ReplyDeleteI take the last verse as a rhetorical question posed by the narrator and find it very effective.
Viva la
thanks, Izy. viva la 2013!
ReplyDelete