This is Theo Jansen.
This poem is a first draft but I really wanted to post it. Suggestions are welcome.
He builds poems in his basement,
made from pages and pressure and ink:
fist-sized haikus that crawl slowly,
clusters of couplets with flapping sails,
long-legged villanelles kicking in waves.
(He’s working his way up to an epic.)
He practices walking them back and forth,
powered by his little puffs of breath.
One day they will live on their own,
walking away from criticism and
dodging misinterpretation.
For now, they need his help.
Tags: free verse, process work
February 5, 2008 at 6:35 am
Wonderful poem. I love it, your descriptions of the poems are gorgeous, the idea and the execution of your poem are beautiful, especially the focus on different types of movement. Very cool,
February 5, 2008 at 10:38 am
the last bit is tacky. make it more abstract.
February 6, 2008 at 6:00 am
“One day they will live on their own,
walking away from criticism and
dodging misinterpretation.”
April 1, 2008 at 8:47 pm
[...] come out if you’re in Montreal this weekend. I’ll be reading a few poems (guess what one of them will be), as will a lot of talented budding [...]