Remember the old Reese’s commercial where the guy with the peanut butter slams into the guy with the chocolate and something brilliant is born? A while back, I selected two favorite books from my bookshelf, Maybe, Maybe Not by Robert Fulghum and Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls by David Sedaris. I collected five random phrases from each and arranged them into a ‘found’ poem, alternating their distinct voices in what became an intriguing, almost philosophical discourse.
THE SOUND OF
TWO MASTERS YAPPING
Ten minutes later,
I was back and we picked up
where we had left off
I did not intend
to lose him to promotion
“Gentlemen, you will remember
that you sent us to the great king,”
I told them,
but I felt uncomfortable
and sidelined by what I knew
of left-wing politics
and a fog of anxious dread
began rising
out of my spiritual swamp
Was he the bravest of them all
or wasn’t he?
A displaced person literally
does not know which way is up,
because there is no true north
I remembered experiencing
the same disquieting sensation,
however, I couldn’t give up;
too much was on the line
“It’s your loss,” I called,
and a great cloud of steam
issued from my mouth
(The regular type is Fulghum, and the italics are Sedaris.)
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Strangely intriguing, but the main thing I got out of this was a craving for a peanut butter cup.
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Thanks, Tippy. Hey, at least it got you out of your Cheez-It rut. I have no idea what it means, but I can picture these two very different authors, maybe at a hotel bar, having this conversation. And me overhearing a snatch of it, pondering the context while I sink my teeth into a Reese’s peanut butter cup. 🙂
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I too am impressed at how uniquely you’ve generated the scene. I’d be that waiter, towel draped from the arm, the other carrying a tray of Reese’s for the patrons.
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Thanks, Philip! “Found” poems can be a lot of fun, a great way to stimulate the imagination. I can see you as the waiter… I’d rather have a Reese’s than a glass of champagne any day! Here is another example of a found poem: https://justjoan42.wordpress.com/2016/11/13/now-where-did-i-put-that-poem/ 🙂
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What an interesting interplay between the lines! I like your found poem, Joan. I’ve only done this once with blackout poetry with minimal success, but I like the artsy page, lol. What a lovely way to blend from two favorite books. I surely remember the Reese’s combo. I love those things, can’t even buy them and have them in the house, I’d go crazy!
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Thanks, Lana. Maybe I should call these Forrest Gump Box-o-Chocolate poems, because you never know what you’re gonna get. These authors are about as different as two people could be. One is a Texan dude who eats chicken-fried steak and goes line dancing. The other has a boyfriend named Hugh, watches One Life to Live, and worked for a season as an elf in Macy’s SantaLand. Reese’s are the bomb, but my hubby has developed a peanut allergy so they’re a no-go at our house now. I saw a t-shirt a while back that combined two favorite sayings: “What Would Jesus Do For a Klondike Bar?” 🙂
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Oh, I need that Jesus shirt to wear here in the Bible Belt, LOL. Those two authors are very different indeed. I don’t mind a good chicken fried steak when I’m carb splurging, but I’ll leave the line dancing alone and crank up the classic rock! 😀
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Love this poem! I nominated you for the Liebster Award… I really enjoy your poetry and I believe others will too. Check out the guidelines in my blog post: https://poeticaparadisum.wordpress.com/2018/06/09/the-liebster-award/
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I appreciate the nomination, AnaCrazy, but I don’t do blog awards anymore. Here is a post from a prior one with some interesting facts about me and links to a few of my favorite blogs: https://justjoan42.wordpress.com/2016/04/10/blown-away-and-grateful/. 🙂
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Oh alright no worries!
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This is pretty cool Joan. There’s a reverse poem going around on social media about self love/self worth and I thought of you immediately.
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Thanks, KE. If you have a link to the reverse poem, please share it. I haven’t seen it yet. 🙂
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Try this link: https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS734US739&hl=en-US&ei=A3cdW8jmFMrSsAX26YyABg&q=abdullah+shoaib+poem&oq=abdullah+shoaib&gs_l=mobile-gws-wiz-serp.1.0.0i71l5.0.0..12653…0….0.0…….0.7hdyp1RcD08%3D#imgrc=uLMIJJMHa_hJaM:
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Thanks, KE, that was awesome! Quite different message, depending which direction you read it. 🙂
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I know right? 🙃🙂
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