Welcome back, readers!
Before we get into the first official “Poem of the Week” for Summer 2012, I just want to say that during the course of my writing career, I’ve learned that sometimes the best poems and/or novels emerge from ideas that just happen to strike me at the right place and at the right time. Yeah, I know…not exactly a shocking revelation, I’ll admit, but it’s the truth nonetheless. Not only that, but my experience as a writer has also told me that when an idea for a work does strike me out of the blue, it’s a simple matter of conventional wisdom for me to capitalize on the situation and write about said topic. Such is the case with the poem below, which I’ll now let you all read and enjoy right now, for afterwards, there will be a pop quiz at the end of this blog entry concerning what exactly this composition is all about.
*****
Thinking Outside, Delving Within
May 28, 2012
Repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition,
Repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition,
Repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition,
Repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition—
Stop! Pay attention to me,
‘Cause I’m getting bored to death, and I need you to see
That you all keep feeding everyone to whom you speak
The same old stuffing, and it’s starting to wreak
Like rotten eggs mixed with spoiled cheese,
And you need to learn that we’re getting sick of these
Same old stories you’ve been telling us for years,
‘Cause it’s getting to the point where they’re all that we hear.
We need something different to feed our brains—
Something fresh to guarantee that we don’t go insane
From the ceaseless barrage of stale, tired words
That for so many years, we’ve already heard.
Surely you have something new to say
That’ll cheer us up and brighten our day
Or at least take our minds off how the world’s become spoiled
And off all the evils in it that make our blood boil.
Surely there’s a journey you yourself would like to take—
A chance for adventure none of us would forsake—
Into the deep recesses of the human mind,
Where one can leave all one’s troubles behind
And come to discover a source of power
That, if well managed, only strengthens by the hour
And can help one create that which cannot be destroyed—
Something more durable than any steel alloy,
Something bound to last for ages to come
And be appreciated by people old and young,
No matter the model, no matter the make,
Yet guaranteed nonetheless to never bend or break.
You know of this substance. Surely you must.
After all, its existence is no secret to us.
Heck, we’ve been using the stuff for years
To create things for the enjoyment of our peers—
Great wondrous treasures meant to last for all time
And inspire the creation of others down the line,
Each like a snowflake, unique in its own way,
And each designed to brighten any patron’s day.
If by now you still can’t solve this mystery,
Then I’m sorry to hear that, but if you’ll excuse me,
I’m off to take another trip inside my own mind
And for a moment or two leave my troubles behind
To bring back more stuff to help me craft something new
For the enjoyment of others, even people like you
Who might never learn to think outside your own little sphere
Until you finally step outside it and lend an eye and ear
To the many other sights and sounds of this world we live in.
Then again, it’s up to you alone if you want to give in.
*****
Okay, now, folks, time for that pop quiz I promised you. It’s only one simple question, however, so don’t fret…
What exactly is the “substance” that the narrator in this poem is referring to?
If any of you know the answer to this question, please leave your answer down below as a reply, and if you manage to give the correct answer, then you’ll earn a big congratulations from me for using your critical thinking skills in interpreting my little composition here. Otherwise, as always, thank you all for checking out this humble little blog of mine, and I’ll be seeing you next time!
Regards,
Dustin M. Weber
AuthorDustinWeber 