I wrote this piece about 15 yrs. ago. It sorta fit Carry on Tuesday prompt and Big Tent, two in one.
Carry on Tuesday: Prompt: All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players.
The first three lines are from Maxine Seates poem Last, with small changes.
A Little Bit of Madness
Suddenly recognizable
As if torn yellowed pages
Fall from a larger book
The curtain opens for all
To see
All is quiet
In anticipation
A little piece of madness
Laughter heard all around
Clowns tossing yellow, red and black
There's a low tapping
Coming from the back
The mailman enters
Has a letter
In a brown cloth sack
Words written upside down
And backwards
All about the meaning
No facts
Written without concern
The actors don't
Know how to act
Yet they take it seriously
Think it makes a difference
Practice
Worry
Try to get it right
No one is listening
Heads resting
Chins upon the chest
Eyelids shut tight
Opening night
All the world's a stage
And all the men
And women merely players
When all is seen
And done
Curtain drops
The lights go up
What was begun
Is now over
White dove flies away
Pages replaced
Remains thrown
To be taken
By the wind
The smile
Is flipped
The merry night
Turned to sadness
No curtain call
Just death
Found in
Every pocket
15 comments:
Woah! Those last few lines come as a head on collision. Light sort of frothy fun bit of madness with a definite thrust at the end. And doubly profound because of that. Yes, we all carry death in our pockets, but have become amazing experts at ignoring that reality. Have to work my way through this one several times, Annell. This one is making me twitch,
Elizabeth
I absolutely love the ending! Well done.
Life really is a little bit of madness. Thank goodness for the laughter. The mailman's letter is eerie, and "death in every pocket" will stay with me.
To be taken by the wind. There is silence in this line. That is a powerful poem.
death in every pocket...wow. really a powerful write annell..
Good all the way through, the ending really stuns. Very powerful ending....excellent!
Hmm, I followed your link this morning from Big Tent looking for your revised 15-year-old poem, but don't see it here. Perhaps it will appear later?
Never having been an actor, I would have no understanding of process and experience, except that you gave that to me here. Nice!
here is mine:
http://www.kimnelsonwrites.com/2011/05/06/at-risk-of-sounding-quixotic/
Wow, Annell, a powerful ending. Excellent write.
Pamela
An insight into the act put on by the players, convincing until curtain down and then sloughed off. I like the way this poem moves.
Powerful piece. The final lines are stellar!
Just death found in every pocket. One of many great lines. Powerful writing. Moved me.
This is rich writing, Annell. I agree with everyone about the ending--it packs a powerful punch.
~Brenda
No curtain call -- just death found in every pocket . . . Great ending to a very interesting poem! Well done.
Whoa, that last line. simple but right on target.
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