Proust Questionnaire Challenge--Poems

[greenmountaineer]

Oh yes.

And he outed your two poems spot on, I thought. (It's never too late to take that boat...)

Indeed he did.

 

[greenmountaineer]

I'm guessing Piscator for this one.

1. What is your idea of perfect happiness?


FULFILLMENT

My wife, my mother, and my dog,
and in the fire a big log,
some bread to keep the spirit in,
water of course, to keep things clean.

My good old friends for endless talk,
in summer nights my lonely walk,
my memories becoming songs,
socialism curing social wrongs.

Health and philosophy in hope,
going even higher than the top,
smile to a joke, let the best win,
the same for every human being.

 

[greenmountaineer]

Our friend who writes his songs and poems by the Mediterranean, pelegrino, is my guess for this one.

4. What is the trait you most deplore in others?


Lack of common sense

For goodness sake stop
sending me Private messages
on Facebook saying not to add
such and such a person
because they are a hacker,
will steal all my info,
spam my friends and pee on my hard drive!!
It's a bloody hoax
that's being going round since dial up
and has grown whiskers.
If you haven't got the sense to realise it
I'm afraid I shall look dimly on your intellect!

 

[AlwaysHungry]

GM, I knew you and Tzara would know it was me because I've talked (and written a few poems) about O'Hara and the New York School of poets here before. AH you are very observant!

Actually, I missed those posts and I don't know O'Hara (though I plan to look him up.) I IDed you because I am beginning to recognize your style.

 

[Angeline]

It has been so quiet here for a few days so I put up the names of the authors just now. AlwaysHungry wins the guessing game although there are some poems that no one guessed that surprised me as I thought their authors were obvious. But, as we know, I suck at the guessing game so don't go by me lol.

I think this challenge worked really well and produced a good range of poetry, a range of subjects and form and metered poems as well as free verse. The most popular questions were about lies and regrets. Poets!

Please continue discussion and revision suggestions in this thread.

If you have a revised poem that you'd like me to post alongside the original, send it to me. Please don't send me just the revisions as you do *not* want to trust my allergy-ridden eyes right now!

Thank you all for your poems. I love your poems and I love all of you. Especial thanks to GuiltyPleasure for helping my wrap my head around this challenge. She has prior Proust knowledge!

x many dozens to you all.

 

[todski28]

It has been so quiet here for a few days so I put up the names of the authors just now. AlwaysHungry wins the guessing game although there are some poems that no one guessed that surprised me as I thought their authors were obvious. But, as we know, I suck at the guessing game so don't go by me lol.

I think this challenge worked really well and produced a good range of poetry, a range of subjects and form and metered poems as well as free verse. The most popular questions were about lies and regrets. Poets!

Please continue discussion and revision suggestions in this thread.

If you have a revised poem that you'd like me to post alongside the original, send it to me. Please don't send me just the revisions as you do *not* want to trust my allergy-ridden eyes right now!

Thank you all for your poems. I love your poems and I love all of you. Especial thanks to GuiltyPleasure for helping my wrap my head around this challenge. She has prior Proust knowledge!

x many dozens to you all.

thanks for hosting this Angelina, though I didn't participate.....sorry, I enjoyed the read, lots of good writes,

regrets, warm and cozy place to curl up and remember a what could have been, or am I lying about that

 

[Angeline]

thanks for hosting this Angelina, though I didn't participate.....sorry, I enjoyed the read, lots of good writes,

regrets, warm and cozy place to curl up and remember a what could have been, or am I lying about that

I'll bug you endlessly next time until you write a poem just to make me leave you alone.

A few folks--Mer, GP--have suggested doing this challenge with other Proust questions. Great idea methinks, but we'll wait a while on that--let some other challenges be met first!

 

[greenmountaineer]

Let me add my thanks too, Angie, for your having hosted this. I'm not sure what goes on in the other boards, but all of these challenges keep me interested and, I think, help me write better.

 

[GuiltyPleasure]

This was great fun, thank you Ange, for doing the donkey work to make it run smoothly.......and all the while fighting allergies. Thank you too, to my fellow masochists who can't resist a challenge.

 

[AlwaysHungry]

Yes, thanks for being the hostess with the mostess.

 

[Piscator]

Thanks Ange for a most interesting challenge, and to PFD poets for a great response. I had no idea who wrote many of them, other than the obvious ones identified early (and laughed through my teeth at Annie's regret) and forgot that GP is out west too.

My own response was muted by writer's block and a great 10 d northcountry out of communication canoe trip for which I have no regrets.

 

[legerdemer]

Such a cool challenge, Angeline. I really enjoyed everyone's entries and the surprises they delivered - I had a harder time than usual guessing the poets.

...and I need to read Frank O'Hara - especially since you are the second person who's recommended him highly. I had no idea the "white omissions" poem was yours, eithser - it made me think, made me curious, and sad.

Annie, you had me laughing with everyone else.

Tzara, inveterate liar that you are ... I'm jealous.

gm - hats off, as usual.

Piscator, yours was a small gem.

 

[Angeline]

You're welcome poet people!

These challenges don't go away so remember that anyone can write on any of these challenges whenever they want. Of course it's more fun when a group of us do it and we can see how the same stimulus produces different responses.

GM I think other poetry forums do group challenges (there are some here who can speak to this way better than me), but I think we'd be hard pressed to find a more supportive group than here.

 

[legerdemer]

You're welcome poet people!
...

... I think we'd be hard pressed to find a more supportive group than here.

I second this - not only supportive but also intelligent and honest feedback, when people have the time and inclination to give it. And I never underestimate the absence of the bullshit that goes on in other internet fora, both here at Lit and elsewhere on the web.

Y'all are just a lovely bunch!

 

[Angeline]

I second this - not only supportive but also intelligent and honest feedback, when people have the time and inclination to give it. And I never underestimate the absence of the bullshit that goes on in other internet fora, both here at Lit and elsewhere on the web.

Y'all are just a lovely bunch!

I've tried many times (and usually in a snit of some kind lol) to find another forum where people are both knowledgeable and friendly. I never have and I've been here more than 15 (gulp!) years.

When I first came to the pobo in 2002, it was the same. A different group of poets, mostly, but folks who knew their stuff and were happy to share and help. And that makes good writers tend to stick around imho.

So I'm thinking to give people until around the 20th to comment on these poems if they so desire and post their revised poems, after which we can start a new challenge. If anyone has ideas for a new go-round, speak up!

 

[UnderYourSpell]

One thing I should point out is that our hostess went out of her way to post all the poems in the order of the original questions .......... well done Angeline

 

[GuiltyPleasure]

......

So I'm thinking to give people until around the 20th to comment on these poems if they so desire and submit revised poems, after which we can start a new challenge. If anyone has ideas for a new go-round, speak up!

Do we send revisions to you or simply post them in here?

 

[Angeline]

Do we send revisions to you or simply post them in here?

Actually it does make more sense to just post them, either post both or quote your original poem and add your revised one. The main thing is seeing the two poems, original and revision, together. I find that the most helpful. I like to see what folks decided to fix/change. That's a learning experience for me.

 

[GuiltyPleasure]

14. Who are your heroes in real life?

Today it is the fighters.
Long hours in heavy gear
that only a fool would choose.
Each one watchful for the wind kindled
flare-up, the lightening strike, the fallen
comrade and each has his – or her – appointed task.
Front line, face to face with an unpredictable
enemy that dies only to leap up, twice as threatening.
Aerial, sometimes flying blind through thick clouds
of shrouding smoke to drop ammunition,
water or red streams of Fosscheck, often before
the enemy’s march to retard its progress; hopefully
subdue it altogether.
Behind enemy lines a small army seems to be bent
on subterfuge, starting fires against all common sense
but these are raiders building backfires
designed to deprive the enemy.
These are my heroes in real life.
fighting to save farm, home, smallholding, business
without the loss of life.

Revision

Who are your heroes in real life?

Today it is the fighters.
Long hours in heavy gear
that only a fool would choose.

Each one watchful for the wind kindled
flare-up, the lightening strike,
the fallen comrade and each has his
– or her – appointed task.

Front line, face to face
with an unpredictable enemy
that dies only to leap up,
twice as threatening.

Aerial, sometimes flying blind
through thick clouds
of shrouding smoke to drop
ammunition, water or red streams
of Fosscheck, often before
the enemy’s march to retard its progress;
hopefully subdue it altogether.

Behind enemy lines
a small army seems to be bent
on subterfuge, starting fires
against all common sense
but these are raiders building backfires
designed to deprive the enemy.

These are my heroes in real life.
fighting to save livelihoods, farm,
smallholding, business and homes
without the loss of life.