Thursday, November 8, 2018

A Poem is a Self Portrait/A Mirror of You/imaginary gardens with real toads

A Poem is a Self Portrait/A Mirror of You

You ask for a poem
Made of thin air
Seasonings of your choice
Appropriate for the season

Dust bunnies
Hair and bones
A bit of heart
And you

Knead into a ball
Chill
Roll flat
And bake in the over

Temperature your choice
Do you like it light-brown
Or do you like it burned
Length of baking time

Again, up to you
The recipe flexible
Suited for your own purpose
Arranged on white paper

Words of black ink
Suited to your own taste
Served best to gathering of friends
Delivered with your best voice

Every poem a self portrait
Like your signature
It is one of a kind
A mirror of you

November 8, 2018




15 comments:

Sherry Blue Sky said...

"Every poem a self-portrait." Now that I think about it, that is very true. We are leaving behind our memoirs in our poems. Smiles.

Kim M. Russell said...

Line as title/title as line works so well in this poem, Annell. I love the poem made of thin air with seasonings appropriate for the season and the whole recipe idea.

Sanaa Rizvi said...

Love this especially; "a poem made of thin air with seasonings of your choice."💞 Beautiful!

Kerry O'Connor said...

That is a great last line - an excellent conclusion to the exploration of what a poem is!

tonispencer said...

Your first line hooks me right into this poem. This one of your best. And it is true, ever poem is a self portrait.

said...

This is so cool. Slammin' opening: "You ask for a poem / Made of thin air"

Love this, as well: "Dust bunnies / Hair and bones"

~Shawna

brudberg said...

This is wonderful, a poem captured and kneaded well.

Anmol (HA) said...

A delectable recipe. Those dust bunnies and hair and bones made me smile. And the ending in continuance with the idea of a poem being a self-portrait works so well. Wonderful!
-HA

Anonymous said...

hmm ... this is interesting ... as a "weird" note --- when commenting, and you have the option of "showing" the poem at at the same time, it displays completely differently for layout/formatting --- and I have to say, it adds another dimension to the reading too! how interesting :)

but on to the "good stuff" --- I like how you've introduced us, invited us into this poem, and the idea of it being a recipe of sorts, seasoned, spiced, with dust bunnies, bones, baked as so desired etc. is really rather fanciful ... and wonderful :)

I see this image of someone fussing to arrange and prepare, waiting on guests ... then hosting ...
and it's all rather lovely. :)

As for the title?
it's an interesting concept .... and well suited to this poem,

but unlike the others who have noted, I don't necessarily think a poem *is* a self-portrait or a mirror reflection/mirror of you -- although I can appreciate the irony of the dueling nature of this statement, as well as the subtlety it offers

annell4 said...

Thanks so much for your comment, Pat. We will have to agree to disagree, about the self-portrait characteristics of a poem...it seems that way to me, but I respect that it doesn't for you.

Susie Clevenger said...

A poem as a mirror is an analogy I understand. I may not be writing about myself, but my voice is reflected in the style of my writing, although my different poetry blogs each have a different voice. Oh yes, that request for a poem made from thin air really hits home for me. Great writing!

Margaret said...

self portrait ... I think whatever we write is a reflection of us in some way - it may be fiction or non-fiction = we have many sides - and it IS a creation of ours. Love the metaphor of baking vs. who we are.

annell4 said...

Susie, I tried twice to post to you poem. It is a lovely poem, and the last line unexpected.

annell4 said...

Susie, thank you so much for your comment.

purplepeninportland.com said...

Unique poem, Annell. The lead-in was wonderful, and the baking interspersed was just right.

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