Ideas that Stick

Ideas that Stick

During my otherwise normal morning shower
a remaining bit of my youth’s Marxism
broke off my back and slid into the tub.

The world’s masses, having no water,
yet alone steaming, safe, abundant water,
crowded in a forgotten corner of my mind
and looked on with envy.
But across my corpus callosum
were classrooms full of academics
glaring at me through their fantasies.

Meanwhile, as my generation’s votes expand,
we suck down the hopes of millennials,
as they ironically compete unashamed
to build convincing deepfake videos
that will feed those masses with ideas
that may not fall off in the shower.

–by Sabio Lantz, November 2019

———————————e

Prompt: It is Open Link time at d’Verse Poets, hosted by Grace, where we post any poem we desire.  Here are links to two thing some readers may not be familiar with:

(1) Corpus Callosum: The part of the brain that allows the two hemispheres to communicate cooperatively.

(2) Deepfake: AI used to create images or videos to trick to viewer.

Life

Life

That which grows, multiplies
and invades while laughing
with tears.

Mindlessly striving
for successful
duplication.

Ending only
in pathetic
death.

Repeat
Repeat
Repeat

— by Sabio Lantz, November 2019

————

Kim, at d’Verse Poets, asks us to write a series of Tercets which are “about something that grows or multiplies and is in some way invasive.” She then lists a who group of plant and animal species, as if any form of life escapes that description — including us. I’m not sure how to write like Plath or Hughes — both of which are difficult for me to enjoy.

The Suffering of Others

The Suffering of Others

This month I have heard at least twenty horrible life stories from my patients. I am thankful for the privilege to had temporarily shared their pain while even more grateful that I have not had to live it.

In the same month I’ve had several opportunities to share my sufferings with others so as to possibly put perspective in their lives by offering them the chance to feel gratitude that they have not had to live my poor luck.

A fawn and doe stop
surprised by the snap of dry twigs
starring into lulling autumn colors

— by Sabio Lantz, November 2019

---

Prompt:  Frank, @dVerse Poets, asks us to write a Haibun using the theme of gratitude.  Most of the gratitude we know is a mix of colors. A Haibun is a tight paragraph or two of non-fiction prose, followed by a Japanese Haiku ( a 5,7,5 syllable poem with seasonal tones – I used word count, instead of syllables: English and Japanese languages differ a lot).

I am Poetry

I am Poetry

The bright dancing colors of fish
swimming through my sea cave
along with the sound of droning waves
always keeps me happy.

Until, some poet, somewhere,
gets obsessed with a thought or a feeling,
and yanks me out of my sweet home
and puts me to work.

— Sabio Lantz, November 2019

---

Prompt: Bjorn, at d’Verse Poets, asks us to write a poem from a changed perspective.

Wet Footprints

Wet Footprints

Sometimes I leave a soaking footprint
mindlessly in the life of someone
much like I do on my morning bath mat
when I pop one leg out of the shower
to grab a towel to dry myself off.

It is a wet step, a clear mark
that slowly blurs into their fabric
joining all the other mindless steps
taken with some other goal in mind.

— Sabio Lantz, November 2019

Three Social Signals

Three Social Signals

Boastful bottles of whiskey
line the walls of bottle-keep bars
throughout salary-man’s Japan.

Gorgeous, leaf-stained kept pots
awaiting their owners, line shops
in many Taiwanese tea houses.

These objects allow a delicate display
of status versus generosity amidst dialogue.
Like American cocktail parties’ guests.

— by Sabio Lantz, November 2019

---

Prompt: Kim, at d’Verse Poets, challenges us to write a 44-word poem (a “Quadrille”) using a form of the word “keep”.

Supplemental Info:  (1) Bottle keeps in Japan, see here.  (2) Taiwan Tea House (2) Similarly, some Taiwanese tea shops keep their own personal tea pot (an expensive one) and cups, on reserve in their favorite shop.

Yayoi Kusama

Prompt: Victoria, @ d’Verse Poets, asks us “to write an ekphrasis using a work of pop art”. Below I have chosen to jot a “poem” about the Japanese artist/poet/writer Yayoi Kusama inside of one of her works. Click the link to read Yayoi’s unique biography.