Thursday, March 31, 2011

The Poetry Bus - The Boundless Sea

This week's bus driver is JoAnne of Titus the Dog. Titus, er, JoAnne is an excellent driver and poet. She has asked us to write about one of the following animals (for her own sneaky reasons - go here to see why): 1) The Dolphin; 2) The Gecko; 3) The Panther; 4) The Bushbaby; 5) The Archerfish; 6) The Kingfisher; 7) The Harrier; or 8) The Ring-tailed Lemur. 


I chose the Kingfisher, specifically the Sacred Kingfisher, because of what I read about it on Wikipedia.


Image from Wikipedia
The Boundless Sea


I don’t do water.
It’s alien and alive
with evil intention.
Really it is and so
thank you, but I
will just stand here
on the shore and watch
the brilliant Kingfisher
make its capricious
pronouncement
about who lives and dies
in the boundless sea.
at
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23 comments:

  1. TitusApril 1, 2011 at 5:06 AM

    Wow Bug, I really like that. The most unexpected opening, and then that combination of complex vocabulary towards the end - brilliant/capricious/pronouncement/boundless - after the proasaic 'Really it is and so/thank you...'

    And I've learned things about Kingfishers! I love the Bus.

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  2. TitusApril 1, 2011 at 5:07 AM

    Or even prosaic!

    If I could use this in the artist's book project I'd be really grateful. If it's a yes, e-mail me at TitusmckayATaolDOTcom with the name you'd like it to appear under.

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  3. KarenApril 1, 2011 at 6:09 AM

    Excellent, excellent, excellent. What Titus said!

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  4. izzyApril 1, 2011 at 8:41 AM

    Yeah, just dive in - and you did! great .
    Wow, what a beak and color to the wing!
    Love the way you flit back and forth with the " I". Thanks!

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  5. ellen abbottApril 1, 2011 at 9:49 AM

    you know, I'm not much of a poetry fan or reader but I really like yours.

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  6. The BugApril 1, 2011 at 10:58 AM

    Wow Titus - thanks! I've sent you an email...

    Izzy - that was kind of accidental, although I do like to play with where I put my hard returns :)

    Karen & Ellen - thanks!

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  7. RudeeApril 1, 2011 at 11:00 AM

    Your poems always leave me with something to ponder. Right now I'm thinking I like any bird who eats centipedes.

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  8. ElizabethApril 1, 2011 at 11:42 AM

    Capricious.........
    such an apt and splendid word!
    wow

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  9. altar egoApril 1, 2011 at 2:01 PM

    Brilliant, as usual. I expect nothing less.

    I thought I might play, but in truth none of the animals inspired me. Except the bush baby photo that showed a photoshopped effort of baby W in Cheney's hands. That might be a dangerous effort!

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  10. LouiseApril 1, 2011 at 7:51 PM

    Great one Bug!!! He looks very intelligent in the picture too! Hope I think of something soon!!

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  11. Enchanted OakApril 2, 2011 at 1:25 AM

    I'm going to be my honest vulgar self and tell the truth about what I said when I read this poem, Dana.

    HOLY SHIT!!!!!

    I'm not much of a poetry critic, but really: What a good piece of work! You took me by surprise in a couple of powerful ways. For some reason I assumed the initial "I" was the kingfisher speaking, and I thought How funny is Dana for making a kingfisher who doesn't "do water"! So there I dangled in consternation when "I" became you the poet. And you swept me up in winged words and dashed me in the bloody sea!

    Hurray for you, because I love surprises.

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  12. ArgentApril 2, 2011 at 9:30 AM

    Bug - this is superb stuff, not a word wasted. I thought the initial 'I' might be the Kingfisher too but then the poem changed in a moment. Stupendous!

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  13. Niamh BApril 3, 2011 at 9:13 AM

    I love the politeness of the bird's voice here!

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  14. Emerging WriterApril 3, 2011 at 9:35 AM

    It's great to pick up new knowledge from a poem. Kingfishers as omens is a new slant on the flash of blue

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  15. JinksyApril 3, 2011 at 9:53 AM

    Such a tiny bird to have any command over life and death...

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  16. Peter GouldingApril 3, 2011 at 4:53 PM

    Never noticed the power in that beak before. Really very good.

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  17. NanUApril 4, 2011 at 12:27 PM

    Wow, that little guy packs a punch. The poem and the bird. I like it!

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  18. HelenApril 4, 2011 at 1:49 PM

    Ooooooo .. a bird that oozes power! Love this.

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  19. Dominic RivronApril 5, 2011 at 2:58 AM

    Good one! Real, emotionally three-dimensional, succinct.

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  20. Doctor FTSEApril 5, 2011 at 3:12 AM

    Watch out! Watch out! Kingfishers about!

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  21. Lucy WestenraApril 5, 2011 at 7:03 AM

    Interesting read. One would not like to get in the way of that beak, would one?

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  22. Kat MortensenApril 5, 2011 at 8:11 AM

    I am incredibly intrigued about this "sacred" Kingfisher now.

    The choice of "capricious" was inspired!

    Kat

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  23. angryparsnipApril 6, 2011 at 6:42 PM

    I am still trying to catch up with all the poem reading. Approaching deadline....

    I really like your use of words near the end like Titus said. Fabulous poem and love the photo.

    I love the word capricious but I think I have never used it.

    As an artist I am used to using paint and pencil but writing a haiku seems a good fit for me. I am still learning though.

    cheers, parsnip

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Thanks for stopping by - I'd love to hear what you have to say!

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