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Saturday, July 2, 2011

THE METAPHORIC BLUES


Got no similes honey, the “likes” and “as” are gone
Got no similes anymore, just “how’s” is all that come;
Can’t find no better way than just to say i’m done.

Got the metaphoric blues, wailin’ the images away,
Got the metaphoric blues, beggin’ for a good way to say,
That i've been left speechless; do you feel the same?

I know some can find adjectives that are vital and new,
All i find's old cliches—very tried, hardly true.
Lookin’ ever' day for a bright thought; contemplatin’ navy blue.

Got the metaphoric blues, my symbols all torn down,
Got the metaphoric blues—cracked allusions on the ground
All my words broken tropes that’s been strewn around.

I got no muse & no thought's worth a dime
Ideas of rubber not even a plastic shine,
 Every song i sing's made of forced & broken rhymes

Got the metaphoric blues, i’d like to find a treasure store
Of unused sounds that would echo more
Than those the smart folks spent before i was born.

(yeah, those poets spent my words and they just left me poor,
  If i don’t find my voice, i can’t sing no more.)

© Gay Reiser Cannon * All Rights Reserved

Metaphoric Blues by beachanny

30 comments:

  1. well, i love this song! the metaphorical blues must be goin' around though. really great, Gay. thank you.
    dani

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  2. this left me speechless....honestly..

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  3. This is fun to read and think about.

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  4. very bluesy Gay and just in time for the Blues spot tomorrow that you are doing on One Stop Form
    metaphorically speaking I have the Blue Moons!!!

    Love ya sweet friend

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  5. Gay,

    this is fantastic. You should sing it.

    "GOT THE METAPHORIC BLUES, MY SYMBOLS ALL TORN DOWN,
    GOT THE METAPHORIC BLUES—CRACKED ALLUSIONS ON THE GROUND
    ALL MY WORDS BROKEN TROPES THAT’S BEEN STREWN AROUND.

    I GOT NO MUSE & NO THOUGHT'S WORTH A DIME
    IDEAS OF RUBBER NOT EVEN A PLASTIC SHINE,
    EVERY SONG I SING'S MADE OF FORCED & BROKEN RHYMES"

    Bravo, Bravo!!!

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  6. Reminds me of a Don McLean song - "Got the Lovesick Blues." But a poet will always sing.

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  7. Some old guy named The Arkansas Traveller used to say in a rich singsong bourbon voice, "Everybuddy get da blooooooos some-time," and I don't know a poet who don't know it. Otherwise we'd be fool savants, singing because we can't help it. There is a love affair between poet and muse, and it ain't always an easy or good one. Sometimes I wonder if mine moved on because I kept singing the same old damn love song. Sometimes I think she plain just done me wrong. Sometimes I think we break up just to enjoy the rapture of those blue blue make-up boogaloos. I hear ya sistah. Sing it, sing it loud. You sang it proud. Without absence, what the hell would presence mean? -Brendan

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  8. Yes...I can hear this set to music - two thumbs up. Your blues are peachy!

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  9. wow Gay


    this is music to my eyes!

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  10. This is wonderful, delightful!

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  11. Thanks guys, guess it's a poets blues for sure. How many times do I read links to poems here at One Stop and think, "how the h*** do they do that, that's down to the marrow, scraping bone, bleached hot and white." And then doubtin' my work and singin those metaphoric blues. But then someone pumps me back up and I take a deep breath and think, "well a writer writes" I'll carry on!
    So take heart when you get down. When you think you're losing your voice, just belt out a blues and it'll happy you up and you can start again!

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  12. O how funky and fun! Adore the last 2 lines:
    YEAH, THOSE POETS SPENT MY WORDS AND THEY JUST LEFT ME POOR,
    IF I DON’T FIND MY VOICE, I CAN’T SING NO MORE.)
    They'll rattle round my head all day!

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  13. I love this Gay--and we all get those blues--the first verse just cracked me up--no more similes no likes or as--lord that would be the worst. If you can't even compare something to something else weird and unlikely, you *are* in the soup. ;_) I think your muse is just fine, she's just fickle like they all are, hanging around, bugging you, making you wake up in the middle of the night to jot some deathless phrase down, then disappearing when you try to make it a poem. But we aways do, 'cause we got to keep spending those words, they're burning a hole in our metaphorical pockets. Thanks for the smiles, even without the similes, friend.

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  14. Oh but not findin the right words is workin jes fine for ya.

    Thanks for the really excellent article on the blues at One Stop.

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  15. Whoa! I love this! Ars poetica in blues form - perfect!

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  16. Yeah you did bring forth the blues with this one, nicely done. Love the rhyme play too, of course that you already knew.

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  17. This is very well done. I even forgive it's being in all caps. ;-)

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  18. You'll always sing, Gay. ;-)

    I want to thank you for your comment on my own One Shot poem. I really appreciated it. Not everyone got what i was doing with it, that it isn't meant to be light-hearted, but you got it, and I thank you sincerely.

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  19. Fabulous. I thought it was a song too, very lyrical. Go no.... LOL Great read, thanks.

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  20. gay, you write it gorgeous...gave me smiles along with the blues...and speaking of smiles thanks for all those you gave the last several months...you have done a tremendous job with form monday...

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  21. Love this! I appreciate anything that's 'different' or unexpected. You've captured both those things here. Well done, I enjoyed a great deal.

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  22. Hey Gay,

    subject matter aside, I think that this is unfinished. There's a lot of good stuff in there, and the rhythm really works here, but it just needs that one extra going over with a fillet knife to make it a bit leaner I think.

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  23. Blues are sung in different hues and urs was just perfect Gay :)

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  24. Fabulous! I've been wrestling with "The Blues" prompt... you've done it justice!
    http://www.kimnelsonwrites.com/2011/07/05/dance-of-god-science/

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  25. Gay!
    You are really steppin' out here....different territory, alien territory....and you OWN it!

    Brava!! I always see great poems here, but now I see unexpected growth into different spheres.

    Lady Nyo...love to hear you sing this....

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  26. OH I HEAR YA, GAY!! Really, there are times of wordlessness and muselessness when I feel that all that was ever meant to be said or written has already been said and written!
    And trust me, you have expressed that horrible feeling PERFECTLY WELL here... awesome!!

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  27. I really enjoyed this! Very clever and relatable!

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  28. Oh, likes. this was great to read read.

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