One Last Breath (Creed Cover)

Please come now, and hold me now.
Before much longer, I'm 'neath the ground.
But before they drag me deeply under,
I yell back when I hear thunder.

But all cried out, I've one last breath.
And after one last breath is death.
I'm down to one last breath I said.
And after one last breath I'm dead.

I called out to the one that made me.
Mother, Heaven, someone, save me!
I'm six feet from the precipice
And the view from here, it looks like bliss.

Hold me now, and please come now.
I'm six feet distant from the ground.
Hold me 'cause I'm thinking how,
maybe six ain't so far down.

------------------

Poetry cover of  Creed - One Last Breath in iambic pentameter

Criminal Smooth: The Introduction

I'm villain.  I'm teflon.  I'm criminal smooth.
I'm nice to my friends, but don't get it confused.
Just struck girl named Annie.  Did you hear the news?
'Cause debts, if you have them, I'm coming for you.

And debts, if you have them, don't bother to plead.
I've heard it before and there's really no need.
"Just give me more time, I will pay you next week."
If payment, you had it, you wouldn't see me.

But payment, you haven't.  Don't lie, 'cause I know.
I'll take lamentations in lieu of the dough.
And screaming and pleading and curse me a foe.
Extracting your debts from account of your woe.

Dubbed villain.  Dubbed teflon.  Dubbed criminal smooth.
But really yourself that invite such abuse.
You spent beyond means and then want it for free.
If payment, you had it, you wouldn't see me.

So next time be frugal, don't take lest you earn.
This lesson so painful, I do hope you learn.
'Cause good guys don't issue the credit so yearned.
And bad guys, oh how we love watching you burn!

The one's that say no, are your friend not your foe.
And though we say yes, we're the curse you dub bless.
Delayed it by time, but true colors they shine.
The dawn it comes late, and such woe comes your fate.

And now I've arrived, the great sum of your fears.
Which cannot be drowned by an ocean of beers.
Your wails are melodic and soothing to ears.
And me?  I'm conductor of symphony:  tears.

There's not a free lunch, please don't get it confused.
If you couldn't pay back, then should never have used.
I execute justice yourself have accused.
I'm villain.  I'm teflon.  I'm criminal smooth.

----------------

Was just thinking of the last piece I did on Smooth Criminal and figured we don't know anything about who this smooth criminal is so then thought of telling his story.  Anapestic tetrameter is starting to come naturally now.

Nonsense (Mercury Feet)

The tongue the stick that sounds the drum.
Now count the beat: da DUH da da DUM!
They eat and sleep, and sleep and eat.
Grow sluggish on their mercury feet.

And when we meet, we meet and greet.
And finding though we never did seek.
And spin the straw, producing gold,
A sight which we can hardly behold.

And when we sneak, oh how we creep!
We snuck upon the Little Bo Peep!
Who lost her sheep, began to weep
But then returned on mercury feet.

And tortoise soundly beat the hare.
An outcome that we all should beware.
The tongue the stick that sounds the drum.
Now count the beat: da DUH da da DUM!

---------------------

trying a mixed meter, first line of each couplet is straight iambic tetrameter, second line is 3 iambs followed by one anapest... just writing some nonsense poetry to try it out

Smooth Criminal (Hey Annie)

Oh Annie!  Hey Annie!  Hey say it's not true!
I heard you've been struck by a criminal smooth!
He broke through the window, and entered apartment,
And did things so heinous, left blood stains on carpet.

So Annie please call back, and say it's not true.
So Annie do call back, and give me good news.
The sound of your sweet voice puts my heart at ease.
When message, you get this, do call back.  Oh please!

So Annie, please dial and say you're okay.
The rumors, I'm hearing, no mind I should pay!
Your phone was on silent, you heard it not ring.
Or just in the shower and call back first thing!

But I heard glass hit floor like piano crescendo,
And villain did enter by way of the window,
And then did accost you in your own apartment,
And when he did exit, were blood stains on carpet!

So just give a call back and say it's not true.
These fantasies made up of criminal smooth!
My image-ination, my thoughts ran away.
Your phone just lost charge, you're completely okay!

When message, you get this, do call back, I plead.
The sound of your sweet voice puts my heart at ease.
No villain did force you to flee to your bedroom.
No scoundrel did break door and bring you to your doom.

Hey Annie, I'm outside.  The one raising sin!
The cops are so callous, they won't let me in!
I know that you're up there, just call back, I pray!
The sound of your sweet voice, just say you're okay.

--------------------------

I think everybody knows this song, here's my manic, spoken word remix in anapestic tetrameter :)

If Lord is willing, creek don't rise
A promise kept, 'cept if I die
If I should lie, and fail to wake
The creek done rose, and I am late

News (chorus)

I checked on the news today.
(It's gonna be fine)
Some people abused today.
(It weights on the mind)
I got mistreated and used today.
(The sun will still shine)
I checked on the news today.
(And it was alright)

Take my Love (Firefly Theme Cover)

You took all my love, since I gave it for free.
And you took all my land, without paying the fee.
You left me bereft and thus naked of dirt,
And then wonder why that I'm leaving this Earth?

You took all my love, and you took all my land.
You're taking me swiftly where I cannot stand.
And dare you then wonder why I do not stay,
To pick my bones cleanly until judgement day.

You took all my love, I'm heartbroken and sad.
You took all my land, it was all that I had.
I guess that I wronged you, and this was the fee,
But darling, you can't take the sky 'way from me.

Tomorrow I'm leaving, I'm fading to black.
So do tell your sister I'm sorry for that.
Do tell the Thieves Jolly and ole One-Eyed Jack
Tell them, yes tell them, I ain't coming back.

You can take all my love, since I gave it for free.
And have all my land, must've owed you that fee.
You can burn up the land and then boil the sea,
But darling, you can't take the sky 'way from me.

----------------------------

Okay, here's my version of the firefly theme song in anapestic tetrameter (why not, I'm on a roll).

Greatest

Show

Ever.

Grenade (Bruno Mars Cover)

What's easy to come is too easy to go.
Inescapable truth that gives birth to my woe.
In hindsight, so clearly, I should have known this.
Your eyes were wide open the first time we kissed!

And you take and you take and you never did give.
I imagine you're heartless as long as you live.
And when you get back to the place that you're from,
Do tell Mr Satan that this round he won.

You said that you love me, but you are a liar.
If my body caught flames you'd throw gas on the fire!
And despite all of this, or perhaps it's because:
My darling I'm giving you all of my love.

And so it's for you, I would catch a grenade.
Throw both of my hands right on top of a blade.
I'd throw my own body in front of a train.
I'd endure all of  this, even much greater pain.

'Cause darling, for you, I would lay down and die.
I'd do this although you would bat not an eye.
For you, yes my darling, I'd catch a grenade.
And yes, even though, you would do not the same!

--------------------

Here's a poetry version of Grenade by Bruno Mars.  Anapestic tetrameter, for your tuesday enjoyment

For you, my babe, I'd catch grenade.
And take a bullet to my brain.
There's just one question cause me pain:
My darling, would you do the same?

I'd throw my hand atop a blade,
And thrust myself before a train.
For you, I would endure this pain.
My darling, would you do the same?

Oedipus Wrecks: No Woman, No Cry

No woman, no cry.  'Cause the birthless don't die.
And it's only those bound up by gravity sigh.
'Cause we'd rather go upward, yet pulling us down.
'Til we lose all the thirst for the sky and do drown.

But we don't really know it, we're stuck here below it.
Until came along a most bothersome poet.
Who danced cross the waters, and caused such a bother
With songs that do blaspheme the way of our fathers.

And poet, you're crazy!  And mad, you just may be!
I think what you lack is a beautiful lady!
Distract, from your heresy, rhythm, and rhyme.
Do partake in the flesh, don't you know it's divine?

'Cause it's oh so sensational, flesh gravitational, next
you'll be saying we should be relational sex.
When the labia wet, and the member erect
And what happens is next, how my Oedipus wrecks.
With the clock and the moth and the rust and accruing of debts.
And the wine and the dine and the time and the wicked don't rest.
It's the same for the blessed, and of this I confess:
Not sure which I AM, but for sure I am wrecked...

And befuddled, confused.  By myself, I'm abused.
Whenever by compass of dust I am moved.
It's been oh too long, though the bound dub it wrong.
Yet the poet counts out a most blasphemous song:

No woman, no cry.  'Cause the birthless don't die.
And it's only those bound up by gravity sigh.
Cause the king of the hill is the king of the dust
and the clock and the moth and the thieves and the rust.
And only defying the gravity wise
Yet often colliding between of your thighs.
The weight of this flesh causes Oedipus sigh.
'Cause the birthless don't die.  Hence no woman, no cry.

----------------------

I'm not sure if this one is understandable by anyone (including me) but it may get us all a little closer to understanding to review the first in what has become the Oedipus Wrecks series.  Challenged myself by writing in anapestic tetrameter, and pleased that the flow of it seemed to come out naturally and it was really really fun to do a reading of it.  I hope I didn't talk too fast, in my head the rhythm of this one is a pretty fast horse gallop, but still wanted to make the words intelligible.

Love Song (Songwriter's Strike)

If you're up and on your way,
I won't write for you to stay.

Won't be your instrument to play
And I won't strum for you today.

If you're up and out to leave,
With heartache that will not be eased.
I know a love song's what you need,
But I will grant you no reprieve.

If all I hear is, "Leaving... leaving..."
Then I'mma need a better reason
To write the love song that you pray,
So I won't write you, not today.

--------------------------------------

A spoken word cover (remix?) of Sara Bareilles - Love Song.  She was all sassy with the original, I was trying to go melancholy with this one but it came out sounding kinda menacing.  I think my voice makes everything sound menacing :(  

Oedipus Wrecks: Megalomania (Everybody wants to rule the world)

To my dearest shipwrecked Oedipus,

Everybody wants to rule the world.
As if somehow we'd do a better job.
Those established fools should bow and scrape to us.
And campaign oaths, they prove such vanity.
In four year's time, so dutifully we vote
again--the spiral gains momentum fast.
Too big too perfect world, it can't be ruled.
Yet Lao-tzu's sage advice ungrasped, unheard.
'Cause even on our best behavior
Turn our back to Mother Nature
Think ourselves some kind of savior.
Everybody wants to rule the world.

So welcome to your life, the one way street.
And there's no turning back, no trading.
Don't worry, even having someone else's life
We wouldn't live it any better, prob'ly worse.
'Cause even reap another's fields, we sow
our own in spring, the autumn harvest too familiar:
Antigone, how can it be? Again?!
So dry, dry, dry those eyes, don't sigh that
Nothing ever lasts forever.
Pleading, grant us just a measure.
Of some freedom and of pleasure.
Everybody wants to rule the world.

The design that I decide is my remorse.
And from these shambles help me make the most.
Yet there comes no echo, no reply, so I
Wallow in this indecision
Cloudy, lacking further vision.
Subject to my own derision.
Everybody wants to rule the world.

And, "There's a room where light won't find you."
A fantasy, how can it be, much more?
There's no wall that won't come tumbling down.
Holding hands, as sands pour inexorably.
And when they do... I'll be right behind you.
Everybody wants to rule the world.

Sincerely yours...

--------------------------

The third edition in my Oedipus series... so as you probably know I'm not really up on pop culture like at all, but I somehow heard Lorde's cover of "Tears for Fears - Everybody Wants to Rule the World", which is more menacing sounding than the original.  I like menacing, so I thought I could do a menacing one too in poem form, but it ended up coming out lighter (not light, but lighter, for me... it's relative, leave me alone!) but it's just as well I have so much menacing sounding works anyway. I tried to challenge myself by doing it in mostly iambic pentameter.  Here's Lorde's cover if you're as behind as me and just now heard it.

House Bolton

Our blades are sharp, and this we know...
because the flayed man tells us so.
His screams resounding in our halls
The audible trappings for our walls.
And our floors are crimson true.
The only thing they lack is you.
Your cries and anguish, these conflate:
The Dreadfort shall ye decorate.

A naked man has secrets few
But everything comes into view.
A Bolton knows the truth that's whole
hidden deep within your soul.
Beneath the surface that we peel
And then the wholeness is revealed
From the breast, we take it from:
A flayed man, he has secrets none.

Greyjoy Anthem

Some men plow, oh yes they till.
To raise the grains that some men mill.
Some yoke oxen, some yoke steeds
To plow the fields that all men need.
Some men toil and work the land,
And they're a diff'rent sort of man.
Some men nurture crops to grow.
"Some men" we're not:  we do not sow.

Some men barter, some men trade.
These men we send to salty graves.
Some men purchase with their gold.
We snatch what's ours from fingers cold.
Our skin is salty--hearts of ice.
Our wealth we bought with iron price.
The hoe and ploughshare:  these we scorn.
We do not sow--we're ironborn.

The Drowned God sent us from the brine.
You will not find us in the mine.
You will not find us in the field.
Although you beg, we will not yield.
Your wealth, we take it as our own.
The salty depths are your new home.
With iron price we send you low.
Let it be learned:  we do not sow.

Drowned God, protect us on the sea.
Storm God is full of jealousy
And seeks to dash us on the rocks
Deny us reaching iron docks.
Until you need some men to row
Until the day that we sink low--
We do not dig, we do not hoe.
We only reap:  we do not sow.

-------------------------------

I don't even like House Greyjoy, but i think their house motto is pretty epic.

Valar Morghulis

This bitter truth won't pass us by.
There's no escape, yet how we try.
Postpone at most, yet time does fly:
Not one exempt:  all men must die.

And some they fight t'increase their days.
And in so doing, lose their way.
And was it worth the few more breaths
to suffer such ignoble death?

To die with fam'ly, riches, fame--
All by itself--is so inane.
Enjoy it duly, while it lasts.
Inexorably becoming past.

But all too soon, the end does come.
To leave us stripped, bereft, and dumb.
Our fam'ly, wealth, we cannot take.
And that we could, we did forsake...
For a few more breaths, a few more days.
That preciousness I should have saved.
I should have increased, should not have spent.
And now I'm left with this lament:

Don't busy yourself with chasing breath,
And unaware our fate is death. 
'Cause men not foolish, clear of eye,
Indeed know this:  all men must die.

Were I among them, then I'd know--
That blade and spear are not my foe.
It's to die with nothing left to show--
Ashamed and broken, forced to go.

The best of men, they plan for life.
And always loathe to sacrifice.
They build up fam'ly, wealth, and fame.
And fight with those who do the same.

They only see worth on this shore.
And greedily they're wanting more.
And on their last, they beg and plead
Before the Reaper, on their knees.

But the least of men are much more wise.
The prize they seek not with their eyes.
And plan they not increase their breath.
Instead they ponder worthy death.

When Reaper comes, they say, "You're late.
I've been past ready for my fate.
Do take this body to the grave,
Take it all, 'cept this I saved."

But to such heights, I cannot fly.
And time so bitter, passes by.
Raise your head, and do not cry.
Valar morghulis:  all men must die.

---------------------------------

Been watching too much game of thrones, then figured that "valar morghulis" is an interesting philosophy.  I'm not quite satisfied with this piece so I may do another.  Iambic tetrameter (with some deviations

Conceit

I burden the reader with some of my grief;
Confessing the depths of self-righteous conceit.
I'm not sure which came first: belief or the fact.
And if it's the former, that makes me a quack!

'Cause the truth I espouse you is one I made up.
To profess it as gospel?  Oh my, I'm corrupt!
So I preface my sayings with, "This I believe..."
And if it proves falsehood, correct it indeed!

But it's lip-service only, I still think it's true.
If not so then why would I say it to you?!
The myriad falsehoods that swim in my mind;
Believing them gospel as if from Divine!

If I shut up my mouth, make my mind void as space...
Well then I suppose there'd be naught to relate.
But the Zero turned One, and the One became Two
And the Two became nonsense espoused unto you.

The whole world is so hypocritically vain!
I mock of them often, although we're the same.
So I guess that does make me a bit worse than them.
And ev-er-y-day I'm repeating this sin.

'Cause they're getting better, while I'm getting worse.
Is this what was meant that the last will be first?
'Cause I used to believe of myself number one.
But I guess I'm the hare, and the tortoise has won.

Oh shameful!  How shameful!  I can't show my face!
The fleet-footed rabbit behind in the race!
And the ones I looked down on are better than me!
Oh shameful!  How shameful!  Now how could this be?!

But this too be falsehood--this specter of pride.
Another shark swims in my mind full of lies.
And the space twixt my ears, were it nothing but void!
But the None to the One to the Two became noise.

And the noise is the din that I find myself in.
Gave birth to conceit, and from that, my chagrin.
'Cause I know that it's bullshit, but what else to say?
This nonsense, I peddle it, ev-er-y-day!

I made up the facts, and I didn't observe.
I made up the proof, from some stuff that I heard.
I made a nice package, presented to you:
A box full of lies I believe that are true.


-------------------------

Attempt number two, this idea from my last poem is still kicking around in my head.  I'm still trying to develop a vocabulary to communicate it.  This one is better.  I think it's almost there.

Anapaestic tetrameter on this one, I need to challenge myself a bit more.  It's harder for me to write in this meter.

Flat-Earth

Not all a man believes is true.
And I, a man, not god, like you.
So dare I not have such conceit:
To call it gospel--my belief.

I think it true, but could be wrong.
So why insist, and be so strong?
A belief is not a certainty.
I guess we'll have to wait and see.

The world is round, and this is known.
But always not believed a globe.
There was a time we thought it flat,
And not just knaves, the learned at that!

Today, there be flat-earthers still.
With flat-earth concepts for which they kill.
Which tomorrow may be proven wrong.
Too late for those thus dead and gone.

And me?  I wonder where I stand.
Conceited god, or just a man?
Accused before th'firing squad.
Am I condemned?  Or aiming guard?

And which came first, belief or fact?
And use the one, convince of that.

Believe it so it must be true.
Invent some rationale to prove to you.

And thus my bias shines as gospel.
And don't you mock, or I'll get hostile.
'Cause today there be flat-earthers still.
With flat-earth concepts for which we kill.

The chicken?  Egg?  Now which came first?
Too late for those consigned to dirt.
Too late for those thus dead and gone.
Too late to say it:  but I was wrong.

---------------------------------------------

I don't think I really captured what I wanted to say here, but I'm tired of having this idea kicking around in my head so I'm posting it to be done with it (until it comes back to bother me again).  I have a feeling this theme will keep resurfacing for a while, we'll see.  I guess it's my version of "the only thing I know is that I know nothing at all."

anyway, iambic tetrameter (becoming a favorite of mine) the meter isn't as tight as it could be, i'm claiming poetic license on this one instead of laziness :)