I wrote poems as an adolescent around the same time I took up guitar, but I was scared of the sound of my own voice until after college, so I never really transitioned from poetry to song lyrics until then. But similarly, once the songwriting started the poetry stopped. Would be interesting now almost 25 years later to pick up a pen and paper and see what comes out without any contemplation of musical accompaniment... Thank you for sharing this. The short lines contribute to a narrow/vertical orientation on the page which makes the poem physically resemble what it seems to be metaphorically -- i.e., a fleeting thread of thought that is passing through the author and being committed to the page before (and perhaps without ever) being understood. What even is it? Is it a filament? tendril? memento? Don't know now, because it's gone... So when it comes time to give the poem a title you can only make a tentative, if educated, guess: "A Memento?"
Love this. Reading your prose, my appetite is even more whetted for that novel-in-progress of which we spoke a few moons back. And that is saying something.
Poetry that doesn't always rhyme is the most interesting I think. Thanks for putting it out there! The word Momento reminds me of pimento and I do like a good pimento cheese sandwich. Also, reminds me of that movie with guy pierce (i think) in which his character cannot create any new memories. Keep up the good work Rhett!
I love your poem - I’m so happy you’re doing this and sharing it with everyone! It’s great having yet another way to enjoy your incredible vocabulary and amazing way with words and feelings!! Thank you! 😊
One of the beautiful things about poetry (and song lyrics) is that magic when the piece is “about” something simple and mundane…an apple, an old newspaper, the word “membrane”, but it hints at something universal that everyone can relate to. Gratitude, nostalgia, passage of time, dreams unrealized…
Thought I was seeing a friend play music at another friend’s bookstore Friday, but it was poetry readings instead..more a lyrics lover over poetry here, but this is waaay better than what I heard there.
Same, Rhett. I used to LOVE writing poetry until songwriting took over as my main creative thing. But one year I had the privilege of seeing Leonard Cohen perform A Thousand Kisses Deep as a spoken word poem, and you could have knocked me over with a feather. I fell back in love with poetry and have since released 3 chapbooks.
Keep doing the thing, my friend. We need a little more human touch in this AI world, in whatever form you can give it.
It's a lovely thing, to wake up and find one of your favorites has posted a poem he just wrote. It even helps Monday seem less wretched! And I think both 'filament' and 'tendril' are correct; filament for more impersonal connections, that we are tied to whether we want it or not, and tendril for those we found by reaching out the way a plant does, finding, then wrapping around. I'll stop now :P Love it, though.
Rhett, can you guys play 'How lovely all is was' in denver on saturday night. favorite song. thank you kindly
Ken
I wrote poems as an adolescent around the same time I took up guitar, but I was scared of the sound of my own voice until after college, so I never really transitioned from poetry to song lyrics until then. But similarly, once the songwriting started the poetry stopped. Would be interesting now almost 25 years later to pick up a pen and paper and see what comes out without any contemplation of musical accompaniment... Thank you for sharing this. The short lines contribute to a narrow/vertical orientation on the page which makes the poem physically resemble what it seems to be metaphorically -- i.e., a fleeting thread of thought that is passing through the author and being committed to the page before (and perhaps without ever) being understood. What even is it? Is it a filament? tendril? memento? Don't know now, because it's gone... So when it comes time to give the poem a title you can only make a tentative, if educated, guess: "A Memento?"
It’s always lovely to see how your mind creates these fabulous words. ❤️
Thank you for sharing your heart
Poetry touches me as dreams of words, something felt but beyond my grasp to understand. Thank you for sharing!
such vivid imagery... I'd love to know how you think about poetry and songwriting differently.
Wading through the melancholy...
I enjoyed that. Thank you for them poem!
Love this. Reading your prose, my appetite is even more whetted for that novel-in-progress of which we spoke a few moons back. And that is saying something.
Poetry that doesn't always rhyme is the most interesting I think. Thanks for putting it out there! The word Momento reminds me of pimento and I do like a good pimento cheese sandwich. Also, reminds me of that movie with guy pierce (i think) in which his character cannot create any new memories. Keep up the good work Rhett!
A poem can instantly shift a mood and ignite the “feels”. A good poem latches on and lingers, like this one. Well done
I love your poem - I’m so happy you’re doing this and sharing it with everyone! It’s great having yet another way to enjoy your incredible vocabulary and amazing way with words and feelings!! Thank you! 😊
One of the beautiful things about poetry (and song lyrics) is that magic when the piece is “about” something simple and mundane…an apple, an old newspaper, the word “membrane”, but it hints at something universal that everyone can relate to. Gratitude, nostalgia, passage of time, dreams unrealized…
Beautiful. I love it. Thank you for sharing.
Thought I was seeing a friend play music at another friend’s bookstore Friday, but it was poetry readings instead..more a lyrics lover over poetry here, but this is waaay better than what I heard there.
Same, Rhett. I used to LOVE writing poetry until songwriting took over as my main creative thing. But one year I had the privilege of seeing Leonard Cohen perform A Thousand Kisses Deep as a spoken word poem, and you could have knocked me over with a feather. I fell back in love with poetry and have since released 3 chapbooks.
Keep doing the thing, my friend. We need a little more human touch in this AI world, in whatever form you can give it.
It's a lovely thing, to wake up and find one of your favorites has posted a poem he just wrote. It even helps Monday seem less wretched! And I think both 'filament' and 'tendril' are correct; filament for more impersonal connections, that we are tied to whether we want it or not, and tendril for those we found by reaching out the way a plant does, finding, then wrapping around. I'll stop now :P Love it, though.