For days now Mr. Bowie
has withered my poetic vine.
He absorbs all thought, each molecule
of passion.
So dreams turn monotonal
and pastel-grey wins mornings.
Twelve labours turn to twenty,
each step backbreaking toil.
Ears hum with his songs, not mine.
(So easy to find solace
when others say it better.)
Tempted – oh, yes! – to stop searching
for the word forever lost, crooked, faulty…
For just one minute I stopped upon a rock
with Sisyphus
lost in contemplation
of the melody of life.
But tell me, Mr. Bowie,
you who have known sorrow
– and great joy too, no doubt –
what do you know of my heart?
How can you show in my place
where fear fell away,
out glistened unfettered soul beneath?
You cannot speak for me
so haunt no more my mind and senses.
Leave me to find my own laborious words.
Despite the pictures and the name-dropping, this poem is not really about David Bowie at all, although you know that I am a fan. It’s about writing, finding words to describe your experiences, finding your own voice, inspiration: all the bees that are currently flying around in my bonnet. Buzz over to the dVerse Poets Pub today, where they have Open Link Night.
Marina Sofia – He is awfully talented and it can be hard to both be inspired by someone like that and still use one’s own voice. You do a masterful job of expressing that.
I was listening to one of his albums the other day and found myself humming the tunes when I woke up the next morning. As a result, I was unable to write any poetry first thing that morning, which is when I usually find my inspiration. So I started wondering what would happen if I was permanently obsessed…
Very nice :)
cool verse…a couple things come to mind…one is how we can listen to or read someone so much that we begin to take their voice…or even start to compare ourselves….and we have to be careful of that…and you know, you can say it just as well…smiles.
Ah, yes, those blasted comparisons… Do you know I suffer more with that in prose rather than in poetry? Maybe in poetry I feel more ‘inspired’, while prose is more ‘work’. So there is always the illusion I could do better, learn more craft…
Yes, Marina, this is exactly right, though I like to play with my favorite poets’ styles, especially when I am in the middle of my own dry spell. Love your words.
Yes, I like playing too, trying them on like garments, but some of them stick…
To be influenced in that way is not wrong per se.. but I agree… finding your own voice in all that turmoil of influence is tough
nice… i think sometimes it helps if we can identify with another artists words or song..but there’s the moment when it’s time to find our own voice…
Nice piece—finding your voice can be difficult–and being influenced can help in that process–said she who is still trying to find her voice!
It takes some confidence to believe that your own voice is worth listening to, doesn’t it?
This happens to me, someone’s voice or words are so strong that I lose my own voice for awhile.
Thanks for your visit and for understanding. A little obsession can be good, but too much is debilitating, right?
Ah I enjoyed this very much. I was struggling today with finding the words when there are so many. Great piece!
Your piece was so funny – almost a counterpoint to mine. Instead of using someone else’s words, leaving it open to the reader.
I really like how you wrote about David Bowie in a metaphoric way to write about finding words to write poetry. Very clever indeed.
Well, I can relate to listening to your own voice & words, and not letting others art and music overwhelmed you ~ I so admire David Bowie & really creative to use the music analogy ~
I sometimes wonder if celebrity culture is all about letting other people speak for you… because you feel you have nothing important to say. Does that make sense?
A conversation inspired by and with Bowie to illustrate the writing process. Clever!
http://www.kimnelsonwrites.com/2013/08/20/transformation-2/
Thanks for visiting, Kim, I do believe it’s the first time we’ve come across each other. Nice to discover your poetry, too.
YES!!!!! let’s find our own words! You have found yours perfectly here
I love that this one can be appreciated on so many levels – nice Marina :)
Ah, you know me so well: yes, as a pre-teen I did imagine marrying Mr. Bowie. That’s in there too, somewhere, the hero-worship of celebrities whom we think we know.
We are all influenced by others in our writing…but your voice sounds loud and clear here!
Ch ch ch changes – time to make the change….
great. now you’ve put the ear worm (bee?) in MY bonnet. :) ~ M
Yep, that’s my favourite. We can sing it together!
sometimes the greatest inspirations are sparked by another’s words or lyrics~ I find all the time that reading other writers makes me a better writer in turn~
this is a wonderful piece I especially love the closing lines~ thank you for sharing!
And thanks for visiting, Andrea. Glad to have met a fellow Bowie fan, who understands it’s all about choosing your inspiration!
As a teenager, I listened to a lot of tongue in cheek rock, such as Mötley Crüe – I don’t think it would be desirable for me to try and emulate their style, so I’d better stick to my own voice 😊. But, I certainly appreciate your address to Mr. Bowie.
Wow, how aptly you describe the frustration of opening up to pour out your own pain and joy. Too often we read the words of another and it moves our heart in similarity but not enough, for similarity does not expunge the emotion of individual experience in its totalityy and we must give voice to our own torment and joy. Nicely done.
withered vine—
he sings a tune
as I’m strung to dry
But hopefully I will blossom on some other day.
Marina, it is sometimes hard to find ones voice. I could relate to this very much. Bowie is quite the lyricist. Nice poem and post.
Pamel
Creative and a poem I can relate to. Sometimes I read or hear the words of others and wonder why I ever thought to use words of my own. Then I realize that I do have something unique to say, even if it is unique only to me.