Amateur

Bob, , ,

Typewriter perfume and a single bulb light. The proliferate
Seahorse. The robin’s return. These are the stems
And these the petals (flowers). These are the atoms
And these the velocities (physics). Light teaches
Like a bicycle (DIY). Regardless, a poem
Teaches it’s not so good to be flat footed,
To be askance to one’s heart.
In the attic-darkness of the cinema
The flickering lights on the screen.
I like going to the movies.
Hum along with strain and happenstance.
Dreams are tactile and stayed by contingency.
The dawn is cobweb-still,
And yet unafraid of ghosts. A charming
Dandelion at the curbside. The ritual of graffiti
Going back millennium, in such amateurish hands.
Just like these amateurish poems.

27 thoughts on “Amateur”

  2. Unknown's avatar Anonymous says:

    I like the opening line with its noir setting. and the dawn being ‘cobweb still’ , that ‘dandelion at the curbside’ and ‘the graffiti going back millenia’ but I get lost in the middle section, Bob —

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    1. Yea, I think I let the images take charge of this one. It’s not too structured. But there is something I like about it. And I did edit a lot too. I have a feeling this is one I’ll come back to later and see if I can tighten it up.

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  4. I agree with most of John’s comment. I really love right up to the cinema. Those first 8 lines are splendid. And there are wonderful images below that (the cob web dawn, the dandelion) but for me the sense of connectedness between the images reduces. At the top I think I know what it’s about. By the end, I’m not so sure. I don’t know that it matters as it’s still beautiful. But I think I understand what John means.

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    1. Thanks Worms. I do think I let the images get away from me. But there is something I still like about it. Though I think I’ll be revisiting it later and see if I can tighten it up some. Very “amateur” of me. Haha.

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      1. Yeah. That’s what I do. Let them fade into the past and then three months down the track read them. If I still like them, that’s a really good sign (I think). Good on you for sticking by your instinct. I think that’s 100% correct. Only you know the poem to its core.

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      2. It’s funny how it works. I’ll think a poem will be a flop and it turns out to have a positive reception, then I post one thinking this is pretty good, and it will be a flop. I do go back periodically and look over poems I’ve posted. Sometimes I think, yuck, how did I ever post this. And I’ll spend the time to redo it and get some editing in and hopefully save it.

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  6. I read this poem forwards and backwards and both ways it excites. I’m reminded in the opening lines of the possible return of non-human domination of the plant in the seahorses and robins and then you delve into the cinema which this life seems to be in the best moments, understanding that Jim Morrison Line “actors out on loan”, yes, a movie and dreams and “ritual graffiti Going back millenium” which are cave paintings, no? What’s remarkable about your work Bob is that despite all the potent imagery, your work never provides an answer to the riddles which have no answers….instead you dazzle us without original combinations.

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    1. Thanks Steve. That’s wonderful of you to say. I didn’t think to go all the way back to cave paintings. But that’s perfect. And now I have that image in my head. Which is wonderful. I like the idea of ending human domination. It sounds like sci-fi, but it would be great to be friends with crows and robins and seahorses. I’ve really been enjoying going to the movies lately. Reminds me of being a kid again. Just magic of those flickering images.

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      1. It’s always amazing when archaeologists or hikers discover cave paintings. I would love to be on a walk and stumble on some and then try and decipher what they might symbolize.

        I wonder what animal would survive if all the animals had a fight? Lions are king of the jungle but I wonder what the results would be between a polar bear versus a lion?

        Oh yes, that’s great that you’ve been going to the movies. I get lazy and think oh, I’ll just wait until it comes on HBO or some other channel. You’ve inspired me. I’m gonna find a movie and go see it in person. I think you’re right…way more sensations aroused and then we get to walk home and talk about the movie with whoever we went to the movie with instead of changing the channel because we can’t because we don’t have a TV and we left our phones at home or if you we go by ourself, same deal only we think about the movie in our head. Thanks Bob.

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      2. Can you image coming on a cave, exploring it, and finding some paintings! That would be life changing. My bet is on the crows, for some reason I think they are next. They are really smart. I guess the old cinema magic is still there for me. I just say Dune Part 2, and it was fantastic.

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      3. Now that you mention crows, I don’t think I’ve seen a dead one. They must be smart to survive like that and they seem to communicate with each other too.

        I’m thinking I might go see Dune 2 next weekend. Thanks.

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  8. Reading your poems brings up various memories for me. How your lines include different images. Like the first line reminds me of my grandfather’s manual typewriter and the smell of ink. Also: Even though the different images in your don’t exactly make sense together for me, your poems make for interesting, curious reads. And I like thinking that the gathered images fit together for you. That you place the images with care, then you put the poem into the world.

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    1. Thanks Dave. I still have a manual typewriter. But seldom use it. The images in this one seemed to have an agency of their own. I’m not sure when I look back on this one if I end doing some more editing.

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  9. Lovely, Bob. I like how the poem seems to go from night to morning midway. My favourite lines:

    “The proliferate
    Seahorse. The robin’s return.”

    “…a poem
    Teaches it’s not so good to be flat footed,
    To be askance to one’s heart.”

    “The dawn is cobweb-still,
    And yet unafraid of ghosts.”

    And I’d like to know what movie you saw? 🙂

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