sounds
From my NaPoWriMo 2012 archives over at my other blog, i write too. Not many eyeballs there.
This poem was the result of a prompt from the oneword site. I hope to be back with something better.
photo by dsnake1
sounds
the truth is it can be very noisy in the morning.
for example, i was just grabbing a cup of tea this morning at the coffeeshop, where besides the clink of porcelain cups on saucers, there were the squawks of magpies quarreling, the stray cat at my feet begging for food, looking up with pitiful eyes, a plaintive little meow from its throat, the tirade from the cabby and his friends a few tables away, spewing expletives and coffee vehemently, the rustle of morning papers, the armchair politicians voicing their opinions on national policies, the soap drama running on the tv on the wall, its wash of music and conversation no one was listening. and then a heavy screech of brakes as a van tried to run a red light unsuccessfully at a pedestrian crossing nearby.
so when i left, the cat had already given up on me and was eyeing the magpies intently, not making a sound.
22/04/2012
**********
"There are three kinds of people: those who can count and those who cannot."
-- Totally Useless Stuff
Shared on Poetry Pantry #275 at Poets United.
© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ) 2015
This poem was the result of a prompt from the oneword site. I hope to be back with something better.
sounds
the truth is it can be very noisy in the morning.
for example, i was just grabbing a cup of tea this morning at the coffeeshop, where besides the clink of porcelain cups on saucers, there were the squawks of magpies quarreling, the stray cat at my feet begging for food, looking up with pitiful eyes, a plaintive little meow from its throat, the tirade from the cabby and his friends a few tables away, spewing expletives and coffee vehemently, the rustle of morning papers, the armchair politicians voicing their opinions on national policies, the soap drama running on the tv on the wall, its wash of music and conversation no one was listening. and then a heavy screech of brakes as a van tried to run a red light unsuccessfully at a pedestrian crossing nearby.
so when i left, the cat had already given up on me and was eyeing the magpies intently, not making a sound.
22/04/2012
**********
"There are three kinds of people: those who can count and those who cannot."
-- Totally Useless Stuff
Shared on Poetry Pantry #275 at Poets United.
© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ) 2015
Labels: heartlands, landscape, list poem, Poetry, Singapore
posted by dsnake1 at 9:25 PM
27 Comments:
I really like all of the details you worked into your poem enabling me to experience firsthand what your morning was like. I was right there with you. Smiles. The end of the poem leaves me rooting for the magpies!
haha, thank you, Mary! but don't worry, those magpies are very intelligent.
that's the city sounds in the morning. :)
I love the picture which accompanies this wonderful piece of prose...like a purr the daily sounds of life can be a comfort - along as they are not too loud
Love the way you depicted the scene..I could almost picture & hear the sounds in poem. Beautifully executed.
Really enjoyed your deepdive into the morning. Especially how you worked on he sounds is very effective.. I think cats have more to fear from magpies than the other way around..
Jae,
i like the way you liken the daily sounds of life to a purr. that would be purrfect!
the picture is a close-up of the knobs on my stereo amp, taken with a cell phone. needs some help with enhancement software. :)
Sanaa,
thank you.
and to think i wasn't too particularly fond of this work. :)
Bjorn,
"deepdive" - i like that! :)
usually, these urban creatures co-exist quite peacefully, but sometimes the felines do want some fun exercising their hunting instincts. and the magpies are quite fearless.
Wonderful images, I see the scene and even--by the time you readied me to hear the sounds of everything--the crunch of the unsuccessful run on the red light. You made me wince. I hope no one was hurt. And I hope Kitty doesn't have to resort to bird. So casually we go about our business that, with Bruegel, we do not notice Icarus fall from the sky.
noisy truth is fun to read.
Susan, thank you for this very insightful comment. that's what makes us sit up. in our very urban world, delivery vans are up and running about very early in the mornings. so they usually speed, trying to meet schedules. it's a tough life. luckily, no one was hurt that day. :)
yes, we do miss a lot of sights and sounds in our daily rush. i have to look up Bruegel and Icarus and it leads me to this wonderful poem by William Carlos Williams. thank you! :)
Catie, that's quite true. :)
The silence of the cat at the end is a great counterpoint...works very well.
Such a vivid scene with a great attention to detail. Loved it.
-HA
Wonderful imagery putting right into any cafe I have visited....either the noise is unbearable, especially when I want a silent start to my day or it is like white noise in the background as I zone out. I prefer my quiet starts.
lovely.. there are a lot of sounds around but we don't notice them all.. it takes some silence.
Your vivid description took me right there. I would have fed the cat, though, LOL. I like the way the ending contrasted with the description and left one reflecting on the experience.
:-)
The city is a delight to observe life in its many forms as it passes by seen unaware by poet voyeurs.
The silence of the cat at the end is a great counterpoint (left this comment yesterday but don't see it now. trying again! :)
I really like this. it makes me smile as you so skillfully capture a noisy city morning. Ending wiht silence as the cat eyes the magpie pleases me.
thotpurge,
aha, it works! :)
HA,
thanks! :)
Donna,
our coffee shops in the mornings are pretty noisy. :)
Natasa,
yes, you noticed. on the contrary, sometimes, if it is too silent, we will notice it. :)
Sherry,
i know, you would have fed the cat. and the magpies too. :)
ZQ,
:P
Robin,
oh yes, the city is where i find a lot of inspiration. that makes me a poet voyeur. :D
thotpurge,
sorry about your comment not appearing immediately. i have comment moderation on, as i was getting a lot of spam in the past (and still), so it depends on when i am free to check the comments. :(
Victoria,
thanks for visiting! aha, you're expecting a nasty end to the bird. :)
Love the detail and imagery. Very nice! I wouldn't have been as strong as you and would have fed the cat :) I just can't resist the kitties :)
That is a whole lot of noise for one day. I don't know if I could handle that much going on myself.
I am glad you found the WCW poem--I hope you found the painting too--so much is going on and Icarus is a tiny speck in the background. I'm sure it happened exactly that way. And so with your poem which made me think of the painting and the WCW.
Torie,
haha! this cat is very smart, he put on its most innocent and doleful face. lots of other people will feed it. :)
Merlin,
you haven't heard about the noise in my office. :)
Susan,
i am glad i found the WCM poem too. i checked out Bruegel's painting too, there are a lot of details in it, but one thing stands out and that is no one is looking at Icarus' splash and death in the sea. are people then that unconcerned too?
i am glad i can learn new things like this. :)
oh, i am sure WCW was moved by the painting too. :)
Clever cat. :-)
Greetings from London.
is! :)
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