Blessing, or: Curse

A poem in blank verse

The vociferous clamoring follows
me, as I descend into the tunnels,
fading slightly as I slosh through the wet,
gurgling flow of words. Cringing, I recall
the mob's chanting: "Charlatan! Imposter!"

Pipes clink and quiver, releasing tonal
rhythms of steam around me, drowning out
the distant blabber. Here, deep within me,
dissonance dissolves into honeyed hums;
Aurus' sonorous mumbling reaches me.

Splashing about at the rippling source is
the imp, babbling in the vibrant waters,
rainbowed by his endless, rambling verses.

"They've discovered you, Aurus! They've figured..."
Gleefully, Thesaurus cackles: "At last!"

d’Verse poetics prompt

The Poetโ€™s Store House

At d’Verse, poets were encouraged to do one of two things:

  1. Write a SOUND POEM which includes AT LEAST ONE from EACH of the FIVE HEARING CATEGORY SELECTIONS below: (reference the hearing words you chose in your post).
    • bellow; clink; drone; jingle; quiver;
    • clamor; dissonant; rip-roaring; tempestuous; vociferous;
    • dulcet: honeyed; poetic; sonorous; tonal;
    • blabber; cackle; dribble; gurgle; seethe;
    • beseech; chant; drawl; embellish; intone
  2. Simply write about the Thesaurus โ€“ what it means to you; describe it, have fun with it. Let the synonyms flow, or antagonize with antonyms.

I did both.


Let’s write poetry together!

When it comes to partnership, some humans can make their lives alone – it’s possible. But creatively, it’s more like painting: you can’t just use the same colours in every painting. It’s just not an option. You can’t take the same photograph every time and live with art forms with no differences.

Ben Harper (b. 1969)

Would you like to create poetry with me and have a completed poem of yours featured here at the Skeptic’s Kaddish? I am very excited to have launched the ‘Poetry Partners’ initiative and am looking forward to meeting and creating with you… Check it out!

81 thoughts on “Blessing, or: Curse”

  1. Awesome write, David. โ€œ dissonance dissolves into honeyed hums;
    Aurus’ sonorous mumbling reaches me.โ€ Fantastic. โค๏ธโค๏ธ

  2. Well done creating an underground feel with mostly sounds. It’s dangerous, exciting, and covert, like those peaks in the thesaurus can be. Such fun, David. I love this one.

  3. Like Dolly mentioned, I was reminded of Stephen King as well, when the kids descended into the sewers in The Barrens in IT. You did a good job of conveying the clamor in this particular piece. Despite my bad ears, I could hear everything you described! ๐Ÿ™‚

  4. Good job, sir. I think you nailed the whole list; ambitious, effective. Your poetics never disappoint.

  5. Sorry I live it. However the first thing I thought of was that you are in a Sewer. It was the sloshing Freud lurks. And Jung beckons and George Kelly will take you smell and all.

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